SHEIKHUPURA: The three-day Baisakhi festival, the religious event of Sikhs, will begin in Nankana Sahib on Wednesday (today).

Deputy secretary of shrines Faraz Abbas said in a briefing that 3,500 Sikh pilgrims from Pakistan, India and European countries would participate in the festival.

Seven gurdwaras, including Janam Astahan, located in Nankana have been decorated for celebrations.

Surveillance cameras, walk through gates and scanners have been installed at gurdwaras, he said.

District Police Officer Kamran Yousaf Malik said 15 inspectors, 35 sub-inspectors, 28 head constables, 908 constables and 28 women constables would be deployed at the temples for security.

He said police from other districts had also been called in and patrolling would be carried out round the clock. Barbed wires and blast walls have been installed along the main route leading to seven gurdwaras. Pilgrims will also arrive in Sacha Soda Gurdwara in Sheikhupura on April 16.

ROBBERIES: Gunmen looted cash from three filling stations in and around the city on Tuesday.

Three gunmen riding a motorcycle looted Rs1.1 million from the cashier of a filling station near Sargodha bypass when cashier Ashraf was going to bank.

Two gunmen held the staff of a filling station on Faisalabad Road near Jewanpura and took away Rs127,000 and mobile phones.

In the third incident, three gunmen stormed into a filling station near Manawala and took away Rs120,000 and mobile phones from the staff.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2015

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