Lahore's Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi reopens after 79 years
The Evacuee Trust Property Board, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Punjab government held a joint ceremony at the Temple Road site.
The historic Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib on Temple Road in Lahore's Mozang area reopened for worship on Sunday after restoration work was completed. The Evacuee Trust Property Board, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and the Punjab government held a joint ceremony at the site to mark the reopening.
Dawn reported that the gurdwara had been closed since Partition and that it was reopened after 79 years. The Associated Press of Pakistan and Daily Times said the building was opened for religious worship after renovation, restoration and refurbishment, and that the inauguration was held in accordance with Sikh religious traditions.
Punjab minorities minister and PSGPC president Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora attended, along with ETPB Secretary Nasir Mushtaq, Deputy Secretary Shrines Usman Khan, Deputy Secretary General Saadat Shahbaz, members of the committee and Sikh religious leaders. Dawn reported that a large number of Sikh community members were present.
Arora said restoration and renovation work was under way at more than 50 gurdwaras across Pakistan, in line with the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, according to Daily Times. He said the Chhevin Patshahi site had been reopened after restoration so that the Sikh community could perform religious rituals there.
Mushtaq said the protection of minority places of worship and the preservation of their historical heritage were among the government's priorities. He said the board treated the maintenance, renovation and protection of Sikh and Hindu sites as one of its key responsibilities. He acknowledged the contributions of Giani Balwant Singh and PSGPC member Professor Dr Mampal Singh to the restoration.
The ETPB secretary said the board was committed to providing Sikh pilgrims visiting Pakistan with religious facilities, accommodation, security and other arrangements so they could perform their rituals. He said the Shrines Department would continue restoring historic gurdwaras and temples under the directions of ETPB Chairman Qamar Zaman.
PSGPC office-bearers and members thanked the government, Qamar Zaman and Mushtaq for the restoration. Daily Times reported that the project is meant to improve facilities for Sikh worshippers and to preserve Lahore's historic religious heritage for future generations.
How the reports differ
Dawn framed the reopening as the first since Partition and put the closure at 79 years; the Associated Press of Pakistan and Daily Times reported it as the completion of renovation and restoration work, without the Partition framing. Daily Times alone carried Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora's statement that work is under way at more than 50 gurdwaras across Pakistan, and the names of Giani Balwant Singh and Professor Dr Mampal Singh, whom the ETPB secretary credited. Dawn alone noted that a large number of Sikh community members attended the ceremony.
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