AMRITSAR: Pakistan government has given a new narrative of managing a place of worship on the lines of corporate houses following the formation of Project Management Unit (PMU) Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur corridor (KC) under its Ministry of Religious Affairs and appointment of its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who is reportedly on deputation from Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI.
Religious tourism gives rise to several faith-based economical activities and has plenty of scope for growth. The Pakistan government has tried to kill two birds with one stone with the formation of PMU: multiply its income by inviting Sikhs from across the world to not only fulfill their religious aspirations but also invest in religious tourism infrastructure and to provide a platform for ISI, Pak Rangers as well as Pak army for its anti-India operations.
According to sources here, many Pakistani villages situated along with the India-Pak border are known as launch pads of terrorists. “One of the village Masroor Bara Bai in Narowal district has the notoriety of being known as a launch pad for terrorists and it is just 35 kilometers from Kartarpur Sahib village in Narowal district,” said knowledgeable sources.
Pakistan government has deliberately appointed Muhammad Tariq, who was deputy director with ISI, currently on deputation to Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) as additional secretary, Shrines for the past nearly three years.
Sources further added that ETPB was one among several frontal bodies of ISI. In past, it was headed by former ISI chief Javed Nasir.
Sources are of the view that If Pakistan was sincere in allowing Sikhs from India to visit their places of worship then it should have relaxed the visa regime and been more liberal in issuing visas to the followers of Sikhism from India. “But it didn’t do so, instead it chose to invest millions of rupees on developing a corridor which enables followers of Sikhs to pay obeisance only in one Gurdwara that too on payment of $20 and now it has formed PMU and appointed a CEO which itself reveals its plans,” said sources.
As the Indian media broke the news of the transformation of the management of Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib from Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to the newly constituted PMU, ETPB roped in PSGPC and made its office bearers to issue statements in the favour of PMU while slamming the Indian media.
When it didn’t work, the Pakistan government issued another notification deleting the word Gurdwara Darbar Sahib and renamed it as PMU-KC.
Sources also informed that Pakistan has invited foreign-based Khalsitani Sikhs to camp at Kartapur Sahib so as to attract investments from abroad.