Musharraf assurance to Sikh pilgrims

          New Delhi, Apr 19: A contingent of 27 Indian Sikh pilgrims, who had gone to Pakistan for Baisakhi celebrations, returned here on Friday night. Baisakhi, the annual harvest festival, mainly celebrated in Punjab, was celebrated on April 14. The pilgrims said President Pervez Musharraf had promised to take steps to preserve Sikh monuments and cultural landmarks. "There was a chance meeting with Gen Pervez Musharraf in Rawalpindi and he has assured us that his government will take every posible step in which every Sikh shrine and also culture is preserved and saved from deterioration," said Harvinder Singh Sarna, leader of the group.

           Bibi Jaswinder Kaur, another pilgrim, was all praise for Pakistan's First Lady, who invited them to her house. "Yes, Musharraf's wife (Begum Sehba) invited all the women to her house for tea, " Kaur said. Every year a large number of Indian Sikh pilgrims visit Pakistan to participate in the annual religious festival of 'Baisakhi' at Nankana Sahib and Panja Sahib gurdwaras. Nankana Sahib is the birth place of Guru Nanak, the first guru of the Sikhs.

Pilgrims back home from Iraq, safely

          Lucknow, Apr 2: It was a special occasion for Ali Nawab, who expressed it with a smile. "Allah is great", he said as his anxious family members greeted him. Nawab was part of the batch of 67 Muslim pilgrims who returned safely to their homes in Lucknow on Tuesday amidst heavy pounding in Iraq. Nawab, who had gone to Baghdad for Muharram prayers, said the Iraqis disliked the American invaders but also wanted an end to to President Saddam Hussein's regime.

           "There is no tension among the public there. But they do not want any American attack on their land and dislike them. They dislike Saddam too. But they do not show it. The public wants Saddam to leave the country," he said. Nazir Abbas, another Muslim pilgrim, remarked: "It feels very good to be back to your own land and meet your own people because when we left, we did not know whether we would be able to meet our people again."

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