About 100 Sikh Pilgrims from Punjab That Visited Pakistan for Baisakhi Test Covid-19 Positive

[Major]

Setting off alarm bells at the local health administration, about 100 pilgrims from Punjab who were part of the Jatha to Pakistan for celebrating Baisakhi have tested positive for Coronavirus.

The pilgrims have started returning from Pakistan and were subjected to mandatory Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) at Attari Wagah Joint Check Post. As per local officials, 98 have so far tested positive for Covid-19 and the testing was still on when last reports came. Local health officials at the border said that so far 300 were tested for the virus and those who had tested positive have been put under observation and decision on whether they would be admitted to Covid hospitals or put under home quarantine will be taken by the authorities.


Over 800 pilgrims had travelled to Pakistan on April 12 as part of the jathas representing various Sikh organisations including SGPC to celebrate Baisakhi. They all were tested for Covid-19 before they were allowed to cross over. The SGPC had even conducted a special two-day camp since it was mandatory for the pilgrims to obtain a Covid free clearance from authorities.


The pilgrims were granted a 10- day visa by the Pakistan High Commission and were allowed to visit various Sikh shrines besides attending the main event that was held at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal on April 14.



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They had also visited the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur shrine and took out nagar kirtan from Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Narowal district in Pakistan to the Zero Line sharing the border of Dera Baba Nanak on Indian Side. The procession, accompanied by ‘Palki’ was headed by ‘panj pyaras’ from India who were part of the jatha.


Meanwhile, Pakistan has decided to ban for two weeks travelers coming from India due to a record surge in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country. Pakistan’s National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) took the decision to impose a two-week ban on travel from India in a meeting chaired by its chief Asad Umar who is also the Minister for Planning and Development, according to a statement.

https://www.news18.com/news/india/a...-baisakhi-test-covid-19-positive-3666554.html

 

[Major]

Another feather in the cap of the govt.

Why did they allow them to enter Pakistan in the first place? ANd spread covid.

I wonder how many people contacted the indian variant here

 

[mazkhan]

This is what I've been saying that our covid keeps getting imported by 3 of our hostile neighbours and one country in Europe called blighty where idiots bought their covid the Kent variant and spread it from kpk , attock all the way to mirpur , northern punjab.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Masha Allah. Wah..

 

[guna]

Brainless. Hope not many got infected.

 

[street cricketer]

Another feather in the cap of the govt.

Why did they allow them to enter Pakistan in the first place? ANd spread covid.

I wonder how many people contacted the indian variant here

Am I reading the article correctly. The article implies that the pilgrims might have contracted covid during their stay in Pakistan.

 

[Major]

Am I reading the article correctly. The article implies that the pilgrims might have contracted covid during their stay in Pakistan.

this open s the question for what about the people who bought the virus to Pakistan. Lets not believe no one bought the virus to Pakistan

 

[street cricketer]

this open s the question for what about the people who bought the virus to Pakistan. Lets not believe no one bought the virus to Pakistan

Surely they would've needed to produce a covid test certificate before entering a new country.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Surely they would've needed to produce a covid test certificate before entering a new country.

Testing is nowhere near 100% accurate. Considering Pakistan is at risk of its own variant, to allow Indians in with their killer virus is reckless. Not to mention, given how hard nations work to smuggle spies in, Pakistan has literally opened the door for possible infiltrators that has totally compromised it's border.

 

[The_KING]

Imran is such an incompetent PM.

 

[street cricketer]

Testing is nowhere near 100% accurate. Considering Pakistan is at risk of its own variant, to allow Indians in with their killer virus is reckless. Not to mention, given how hard nations work to smuggle spies in, Pakistan has literally opened the door for possible infiltrators that has totally compromised it's border.

I don't know..I just read the article and everything in the article points towards the pilgrims contracting the virus in Pakistan.

 

[MP2011]

In these extraordinary circumstances, its extremely foolish of all concerned to embark on any kind of pilgrimage.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

I don't know..I just read the article and everything in the article points towards the pilgrims contracting the virus in Pakistan.

It's an Indian news site, not that surprising they want to spin it that Pakistan is responsible for Covid infection in India. It is a matter of concern though that these pilgrims might have brought the variant which is ravaging India into Pakistan. Surely they should have been tested on entry.

 

[MRSN]

This news should also be a concern for countries that have their players in the IPL.

 

[MRSN]

The recent spark in cases in Pakistan may be connected to the Indian variant. It looked like things were under control a month ago.

 

[street cricketer]

It's an Indian news site, not that surprising they want to spin it that Pakistan is responsible for Covid infection in India. It is a matter of concern though that these pilgrims might have brought the variant which is ravaging India into Pakistan. Surely they should have been tested on entry.

I'm aware of the anti Pakistani/anti muslim bias of Indian newspapers but tbh there is little to spin in a statement that 100 out of 300 pilgrims have tested covid positive on entry back into India from Pakistan.

I'm pretty sure the Pakistani authorities would've required the Indian pilgrims to produce a covid certificate on entry into Pakistan. I can't speak for other states but one can't enter into the state I'm residing in without producing a recent negative RT PCR test result, so surely entry into an another country would have far more stringent rules.

 

[Last Monetarist]

I'm aware of the anti Pakistani/anti muslim bias of Indian newspapers but tbh there is little to spin in a statement that 100 out of 300 pilgrims have tested covid positive on entry back into India from Pakistan.

I'm pretty sure the Pakistani authorities would've required the Indian pilgrims to produce a covid certificate on entry into Pakistan. I can't speak for other states but one can't enter into the state I'm residing in without producing a recent negative RT PCR test result, so surely entry into an another country would have far more stringent rules.

I doubt that entry requirements are that stringent in Pakistan, it might have changed over the course of the last few weeks, but earlier there was no government mandated requirement to produce a negative PCR test result to enter the country. The government were happy to defer to individual airline policy for air travellers. Land border requirements won't even have been that stringent in all probability.

The government has been unbelievably lax in allowing the pandemic to spread again.

 

[street cricketer]

I doubt that entry requirements are that stringent in Pakistan, it might have changed over the course of the last few weeks, but earlier there was no government mandated requirement to produce a negative PCR test result to enter the country. The government were happy to defer to individual airline policy for air travellers. Land border requirements won't even have been that stringent in all probability.

The government has been unbelievably lax in allowing the pandemic to spread again.

That's kinda incredible to believe. Even many states in India ask a negative covid result and an e pass for entry. I'm sure things wouldn't be that lax now in Pakistan.

 

[Last Monetarist]

That's kinda incredible to believe. Even many states in India ask a negative covid result and an e pass for entry. I'm sure things wouldn't be that lax now in Pakistan.

It might have changed over the past few weeks, but even until last month there were no checks at airports with respect to PCR tests. There is no limitation on domestic travel (not even symptom checks), whereas it's assumed that international airlines are doing all they can to screen passengers by allowing only those with negative PCR tests.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

That's kinda incredible to believe. Even many states in India ask a negative covid result and an e pass for entry. I'm sure things wouldn't be that lax now in Pakistan.

It's not that surprising. You must have seen how the PSL bio bubble got breached because the franchise owners couldn't resist doing high fives with their celebrity influencers, leading to the whole tournament getting postponed. This Sikh pilgrimage also has PR connotations for the Pakistan govt so I could easily see them being lax over tests. Pakistanis in general have a too relaxed attitude to protocol, you can see it right through the society, from cricket administration to queuing at the airport.

 

[IMMY69]

It's an Indian news site, not that surprising they want to spin it that Pakistan is responsible for Covid infection in India. It is a matter of concern though that these pilgrims might have brought the variant which is ravaging India into Pakistan. Surely they should have been tested on entry.

53 passengers tested negative in India before leaving for Hong Kong only to test positive on arrival.

 

[CricketCartoons]

53 passengers tested negative in India before leaving for Hong Kong only to test positive on arrival.

How many were Type I error and how many Type II error?

 

[PakLFC]

Good Lord! We should never allow them entrance. An Indian colleague of mine recently went to attend the Kumbh for his holy bath! He would not listen to my warning that firstly the Ganga is filthier then filthy then additionally with the pandemic he will be bathing with God knows how many infected people, no social distancing or a mask. Apparently, his "maa Ganga" would protect him such was the power of the kumbh. He has not returned yet like was supposed to.

People lose commonsense when it comes to religious pilgrimage.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Pilgrims from all over the world are busy performing their religious rituals at Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib as part of the 554th birth anniversary celebrations of the Sikhism founder, Baba Guru Nanak.

On Wednesday, 2,442 pilgrims from India reached Hasan Abdal in three batches by special buses where they were welcomed by Deputy Commissioner Rao Atif Raza, DPO Sardar Ghayas Gul, Assistant Commissioner Dr Sana Ram Chand and other senior officials. The pilgrims were garlanded with flowers while batch leaders were also presented with bouquets.

More than 4,000 pilgrims from all over the world, including India, Britain, and Canada, are participating in the three-day celebrations to mark the 554th birth anniversary celebrations of the Sikhism founder.

Earlier, Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha and Regional Police Officer (RPO) Syed Khurram Ali Shah reviewed the security and other arrangements for the pilgrims and expressed their satisfaction.

Commissioner Chattha said, “Pilgrims from all over the world are our guests and their hospitality is our national and religious duty.” He issued instructions to all the departments to perform their duties honestly.

Rawalpindi RPO Shah said, “All security arrangements have been completed, which are being supervised by the Attock DPO, while a large number of officers and officials of all the relevant departments have been posted in the vicinity of Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib, who are there to protect the life and property of the pilgrims.”

Sources said, pilgrims arrived from India will leave on November 30 after a two-day stay.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a female pilgrim from India, Hardeepa Kaur, said: “We are grateful for the excellent arrangements made by the Pakistani government.” She thanked the people of Pakistan while expressing satisfaction over the food and security arrangements.

Another female pilgrim, Dalreet, said before coming to Pakistan, there were many doubts in her heart, which were removed by the love received from the Pakistani people. She said she had come to Pakistan for the first time, but “after seeing the arrangements made here and seeing the arrangements for decorating the Gurdwaras, I feel content and now I have also decided to come to Pakistan again soon”.

Assistant Commissioner Dr Sana, who is personally overseeing the arrangements for the care of all pilgrims, said people of all religions were allowed to live and worship with complete freedom in Pakistan. “There are clear orders from the government of Pakistan to provide all possible facilities to the pilgrims, in the light of which the administration of Attock district is doing its work and the departments are performing their duties regarding all the facilities including the provision of food and accommodation to the pilgrims,” she explained.

Another pilgrim from India, Sardar Arjun Singh, said governments have their problems, but the people of Pakistan and India love each other open-heartedly. “The borders have divided our families,” he lamented and added, “Pakistan is a holy land for us where we find peace.” A special prayer for Pakistan was also offered during the religious ceremonies. The pilgrims will leave on November 30 after a two-day stay.

Source: Express Tribune

Sikh pilgrims commemorate Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary | The Express Tribune

Perform rituals at Gurdwara Sri Panaja Sahib to mark 554th birthday of Sikhism’s founder

tribune.com.pk