­SIALKOT-The visiting Sikh pilgrims from India have expressed their desire to see durable peace between the two nuclear neighbours Pakistan and India. They said that the people of Pakistan and India wanted durable peace between the two nations. They stated this while talking to the newsmen after performing their religious rites at the Gurudawara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur-Shakargarh near.
A delegation of 1,422 male and female Sikh Yatrees (pilgrims) from India visited their sacred Gurudawara Darbar Sahib amid tight security. Gurumeet Singh led this delegation. Local MPA (minorities) Sardar Ramaish Singh Arora accorded warm welcome to the Indian Sikh Yatrees upon their arrival.
The Sikh Yatrees performed their religious rites and refreshed their pre-partition memories. They also distributed sweets and food. They also exchanged gifts with each other.
The Sikh pilgrims led by Gurumeet Singh highly hailed the Pakistan government's sincere efforts for ensuring the religious freedom of the minorities and safeguarding the sacred places and Gurudawaras of the Sikh community in Pakistan.
They also thanked Pakistan for rendering the splendid hospitality to the visiting Sikh Yatrees (pilgrims) reached here from India.
Several Yatrees, while talking to the newsmen, said Pakistan was a peaceful country and the people of Pakistan were also very peace-loving. They said that the Pakistanis have given marvelous love, affection, care and unforgettable hospitality to the visiting Sikh pilgrims.
They said that they felt it homelike while visiting Pakistan in a fully secured and love-filled atmosphere in Pakistan.
"We have brought love here and will go back India with the unforgettable love given them by the people of Pakistan," they said. They also pledged to make efforts to promote the soft image of Pakistan globally as a peaceful and peace-loving country.
They also wished the durable peace and developed people-to-people relations between Pakistan and India, stressing the need for early start of meaningful peace talks between the both nuclear neighbours. Later, Narowal Deputy Commissioner Ali Anaan Qamar saw off the convoy of the Sikh Yatrees consisting of 30 buses and two coasters after their day-long stay amid tight security.
Deputy District Officer Health Dr Kashif Nadeem said that the staff at the City Hospital Kamalia will work in two shifts from now on to better facilitate the people of the area. He was talking to the media in his office the other day. He said that one doctor and hospital staff will perform their duties from 8am to 2pm and one doctor and staff will work from 2pm to 8pm. He said that soon third shift will also start at the City Hospital Kamalia so that people can avail the health facilities 24 hours a day. He added that as per instructions of the Government of Punjab, the medicine is being provided free of charge to the patients at the City Hospital Kamalia.