June 16, 2006	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 19, 1427

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LAHORE, June 15: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Thursday Pakistan and India wanted to live in peace and were making progress in resolution of all issues, including Kashmir’s.

Inaugurating a seminar on “Muslim-Sikh Relations in Historical Perspective” organised by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in connection with the 400th anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Jee’s martyrdom amid slogans of “Sat Siri Akal” and “Jo Bolay so Nihal” here, he said several doors had already been opened between the two countries and efforts were being made to open more.

He said peace would benefit the peoples on both sides of the border and help solve their problems. Fraternal feelings were already developing and the people were realising that they had to live together and work for harmony. They would not be able to realise their true development potential without peace.

He said the world needed inter-faith, inter-cultural and inter-civilisation harmony. All would prosper if there was peace in the world and suffer in case of anarchy because the two recognised no frontiers. He said the late Guru Arjan Dev Jee also stressed the need for Muslim-Sikh brotherhood and took Hazrat Mian Mir from Lahore to Amritsar for laying the foundations of the golden temple.

Peace, unity and brotherhood were the need of the hour and supported by the people from all schools of thought. He said Baba Guru Nanak was a great leader who influenced the world with his vision and deeds. The government had decided to give his birthplace, Nankana Sahib, the status of a district and build a hotel and establish the Guru Nanak university there.

The Sikh community, he said, was not only represented in the National Assembly but he had been pleased to meet a Sikh youth who had been receiving training at the military academy.

The prime minister said the Sikhs should consider Pakistan their home. He was pleased to acknowledge that Hassan Abdaal and Panja Sahib were in the National Assembly constituency from where he had been elected. He assured the Sikhs that the government would not only ensure proper maintenance of their religious places, but also allow them to come to visit these by rail, road or air in any number.

The government would not only issue them liberal visas but also offer them all possible facilities during their stay in Pakistan, he committed.

Mr Aziz announced issuance of a Rs5 postage stamp to mark the 400th death anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Jee.

Federal Minister for Minorities and Religious Affairs Muhammad Ijazul Haq said Guru Nanak Jee stressed the need for having firm belief in one God and was opposed to superficial customs and traditions, and class-distinction. He not only visited the Holy Kaaba but was also influenced by the great Muslim religious leaders of his time.

He said Guru Arjan Dev Jee was among the most prominent followers of Guru Nanak Jee. He had not only compiled the Guru’s Granth Sahib but also laid the foundations of the golden temple at Amritsar.

Pakistan Sikh Gurdawara Parbandhak Committee pardhan Sardar Bishan Singh said more than 5,000 Sikhs had arrived in Pakistan from all over the world to participate in the event. The committee controlled all religious affairs of Sikhs and their ‘gurdwaras’ were being properly looked after. The Punjab government had honoured Sikhs by upgrading Nankana Sahib as a district, he acknowledged.

Dr Darshan Singh, the professor emeritus at the Punjab University, Chandigarh, said the 400th anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Jee’s martyrdom had brought about a new phase in the relationship of Sikhs with Pakistan. He said Guru Arjan Dev Jee believed in a society without borders and was opposed to idolatry.

The Guru Granth Sahib compiled by him also contained the writings of four prominent Muslim religious leaders of his time. People belonging to any religion could enter a ‘gurdawara’ and pray there, he concluded.