Exhibition of Sikh-era artefacts opens in Lahore Museum

LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Information and Culture Mian Aslam Iqbal inaugurated the Sikh-era artefacts’ exhibition in Lahore Museum.

The exhibition has been arranged in connection with the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak. A section of the museum has also been renamed as Sikh Gallery and the sacred book of the Sikh community Guru Granth Sahib was also recited on the occasion.

Provincial Minister Aslam Iqbal extended congratulations to the Sikh community on the birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak and welcomed them on behalf of the people and governments of Punjab and Pakistan.

It is the first occasion that such an important ceremony has been arranged in the museum and Sikh-era artefacts have been displayed for the Sikh visitors, he said. Mian Aslam Iqbal termed the opening of Kartarpur Corridor an important as well as historic occasion and welcomed the Sikh visitors coming from across the globe.

Talking to journalists, Mian Aslam Iqbal said that the religion of Islam has given the right to live to all the minorities according to their religions and added that constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has also given this freedom to the minorities to perform their religious ceremonies. “We are proud that minorities are enjoying equal rights in Pakistan,” he added.

Mian Aslam Iqbal said the Sikh community had given a strong message to the world by raising their voice in favour of oppressed Kashmiris. He added that development works on the Kartarpur Corridor had been completed speedily. Best security arrangements have been made on the occasion of birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak. Security agencies are fully vigilant and active, he said. It is the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to promote religious tourism as it will help improve national economy besides giving a positive message to the Sikh community. Opening of Kartarpur Corridor is an important step towards the promotion of religious tourism, he added. He said that talks were underway between Rehbar Committee and the government’s team with regard to the ongoing sit-in in Islambad and it is hoped that matters would be settled soon. To another question, he termed the burning of crops residue a form of environmental terrorism, adding that international laws were being blatantly violated in India by doing so. He urged upon the international environmental organisations to take immediate notice of it.

The Punjab chief minister has also directed the authorities concerned to take immediate steps in this regard, concluded the minister.