SHEIKHUPURA, Nov 11: More than 3,000 Sikh pilgrims have arrived in Nankana Sahib to attend the 540th birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Jee at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib.

The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) deal with Sikh affairs in Pakistan. The ETPB has been dealing with all Sikh festivals for the past 11 months as the PSGPC was dissolved after the members had completed their three-year tenure. A new body has yet to be made by the government.

ETPB Deputy Administrator (shrines) Faraz Abbas said over 3,000 pilgrims had arrived from India for Nov 11-13 celebrations.

Police have made a foolproof security plan for the celebrations and closed-circuit cameras have been installed in and around the Gurdwara besides electronic walkthrough gates. Police check posts have also been set up at strategic points.

Pilgrims have already arrived from the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Singapore, Thailand, the United States of America, Germany and Canada.

He said Indian pilgrims would visit Sacha Sauda Gurdwara, Kartarpur Sahib, Rohri Sahib and Panja Sahib Gurdawara. He said pilgrims would stay in Hassan Abdal on Nov 15-16 and in Lahore at Dera Sahib Gurdawara on Nov 17-20. He said that all pilgrims would leave Pakistan for India through the special trains on Nov 20.

Indian Dera Sahib Gurdwara Caretaker Azhar Abbas said only Indian pilgrims would stay at the gurdwaras, adding that the rest would reside at hotels.

He said the gurdwara could only accommodate 2,500 pilgrims, adding that the other pilgrims would reside at the Trust Model School, Lakshmi Singh Fort, Agarwal Ashram, Ayesha Degree College and the Nawaz Sharif High School. Sources said that prominent Sikh pilgrims might invite Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Governor Salmaan Taseer for lunch or dinner.