BY Rana Fawad

Date:17-03-05

Source: The Nation

NANKANA - Prime Minster Shaukat Aziz has promised to welcome 10 buses from Amritsar to Nankana Sahib on the occasion of coming Besakhi festival of Sikhs even before the proposed Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus service formally starts, said Indian Punjab’s Chief Minister Captain (R) Amrindar Singh while addressing a public meeting at Nankana Sahib after performing the ground-breaking ceremony of Nankana Sahib-Manawala dual carriageway named as Baba Guru Nanak Road on Wednesday.

Singh told the gathering that during his meeting with Shaukat Aziz Wednesday morning, he had requested him to run at least one bus on the Besakhi before the bureaucratic formalities are worked out regarding the proposed Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus service between India and Pakistan. He said Shaukat readily accepted the suggestion and assured him that Pakistan would welcome not one but 10 buses from Arimtsar to Nankana Sahib.
Singh said he along with his 65-member delegation was glad to be here and everywhere in Pakistan they were welcomed with love.

Referring to his meeting with President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday, he said when he (Singh) took up the issue of illegal Indian prisoners in Pakistani jails, the president readily promised that those innocent people would be released the same day. He said President Musharraf also promised to release around 120 fishermen after formal paperwork.
Singh said an MoU between Punjab Agriculture University of Ludhiana and Agriculture University of Faisalabad would be singed soon to extend co-operation in this field.

In his speech, he stressed that Pakistan and India should strengthen their economies to compete in a world dominated by big powers like the US. He pointed out that for strong economies both countries should promote peace in the region and pay attention to the development of their people.

He said love between the two countries was spreading fast. While referring to the Mohali cricket test, he told the audience that though Chandigarh was a small city and the organisers were facing shortage of space for the Pakistani guests, but, to everyone’s surprise, the Indian people offered to play host to many Pakistani guests. He said through this love both countries would come closer. He said the separation of two countries in 1947 was a fact, but both countries shared a culture of thousands of years. He said it was an advanced world of technology and without proper industrialisation, both India and Pakistan would lag behind in the race of development.

Earlier, the chief ministers of two Punjabs laid the foundation stone of Baba Guru Nanak Road. Punjab C&W Secretary Sibtain Fazl-e-Haleem briefed them about the details of the road. Under this project, a dual carriageway of 17 km will be constructed at the cost of Rs 260 million. Each side of the road will be 24 ft wide along with four feet hard shoulder. He said the carriageway could be connected with the motorway either at Sheikhupura interchange or Faizpur interchange. A similar project will also be undertaken from Wahga Border to Lahore, covering 24 km at the cost of Rs 470 million. After the completion of the road, the total distance from Wahga to Nankana Sahib will be around 115 km.

On construction of Baba Guru Nanak Road, the Indian Punjab’s chief minister said new roads always lead to new opportunities for the respective areas and the people of Nankana Sahib would also benefit from the project.
Later, talking to journalists, Singh said the exchange of delegations would enhance economic activity in the region. To a question on Kashmir, he said the federal governments of both countries were already talking to each other on this issue and hoped that the outcome of the dialogue would be positive.

In his speech, Pakistani Punjab’s Chief Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi said the government had already announced to make Nankana Sahib a model city and the construction of the dual carriageway would further facilitate the Sikh community living here and in India. He said after the completion of the project, it would only be two hours journey from Wahga Border to Nankana Sahib.

Ch Pervaiz said the city would be provided with all necessary facilities. He said the development work would also lead to an enhanced economic activity as more visitors from India would come and visit the place. He said it was our duty to preserve, protect and upgrade minorities’ religious places. He said the teachings of Baba Guru Nanak promote love and peace and Islam also preach the same values. He said it was the first time that any Indian leader addressed a public meeting in Pakistan.

Pervaiz said during his meeting with Singh, President Musharraf very openly commented that unresolved issues should not be swept under the carpet because sooner or later both countries would have to face them. He said President Musharraf suggested that both governments should face the hard facts and resolve the issues so that attention could be diverted to the peoples’ development.

While referring to his recent visit to the Indian Punjab, Pervaiz said he was accorded a warm welcome there. He said both Punjabs also held joint Olympics for the first time in which 300 sportsmen and sportswomen from the Pakistani Punjab participated in various categories. He said both governments also decided to make it an annual event as the next year’s Punjab Olympics would be held in Lahore while Jallundhar would be the next venue. Pervaiz announced that in the next phase, Lahore-Sharqpur-Mangtawala road would be constructed at the cost of Rs 600 million.

Punjab C&W Minister Ch Zaheer ud Din appreciated Amrindar Singh’s forefathers for their contribution to the field of education in this part of the sub-continent.

Prior to the foundation-stone laying ceremony, Capt (R) Amrindar Singh accompanied by his wife and Punjab Chief Minster Ch Pervaiz Elahi arrived at the hellipad where Gurdwara Parbandh Committee’s Chairman Ajit Singh Sarnam welcomed them. Then the guests went to Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and performed religious rituals. They also prayed for peace and love between India and Pakistan. School children showered flower petals on the guests, while a music band continued to play different tunes on the occasion. The local administration had decorated the entire route with banners in English, Urdu and Gur Mukhi languages.