Gesture of hospitality: For Sikh pilgrims, 20 exclusive buses

LAHORE: The Lahore Transport Company (LTC) has arranged an exclusive bus service for Sikh pilgrims, currently in Pakistan to celebrate their annual Baisakhi festival.

The public transportation service in collaboration with a private firm, Platform Turizm, has started 20 air-conditioned, CNG buses to assist pilgrims in performing their religious rituals. Unlike the previous year, the LTC has arranged the service as per an agreed protocol between India and Pakistan for the pilgrims, who returned to Lahore on a special train after performing their pilgrimage in Hasanabdal, Nankana Sahib and Farooqabad.



As per the operational plan, the buses will take the pilgrims from the Lahore Railway Station to Gurdwara Dera Sahib and back. On Wednesday (today), the Sikh pilgrims will visit Kartarpur, Narowal and will return to Lahore to attend a seminar on Baisakhi at Awan-e-Iqbal on Thursday.

After completion of their annual rituals, they will depart for India through Wagah Border on April 21 (Friday). The buses are charging a minimal fare of Rs30 from each commuter for the journey and the pilgrims have praised the facility as a gesture of hospitality of Pakistani nation.

Around 1,500 Sikh pilgrims are in Pakistan to celebrate the 319th Khalsa Janam Din and Baisakhi festival.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2017.