AMRITSAR: The terrorist attack on Marritt hotel in Islamabad in Pakistan has forced the Sikh Jatha from india to drop their visit to Gurdawara Panja Sahib on the advice of officials of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) not to visit the shrine due to its proximity to Islamabad.

SGPC sources said that Sikh Jatha was scheduled to  pay obeisance at historical Sikh shrines including Dera Sahib, Gurdawara Nankana Sahib and Gurdwara Sacha Sauda  during their 10-day tour to Pakistan.

However, the 200 strong Jatha, 95 members of which returned on Thursday. This was first time that SGPC had sent a Jatha to commemorate the martyrdom day of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Sikh master at Gurdawara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakiatan.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Government has decided to impart free education to Sikh students in their country. This was announced by Javed Malik chief of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) at a a reception hosted for Sikh Jatha from India on pilgrimage to Pakistan.

It is pertinent to mention here that the strength of the Sikhs in Pakistan is almost insignificant with about 50,000 Sikhs mostly concentrated in Peshawar, Punjab and some other parts of the country. Many of the Sikhs who work as traders fear to send their children to school due to disparity with minorities prevalent in educational  and other institutes throughout Pakistan, as also the fact that they are economically very backward.
 
Beside SGPC, certain other Sikh organizations including Nankana sahib Sikh Yatri Jatha , Bhai Mardana Yaadgari Trust Jatha , Khalra Mission Committee had also sent pilgrims to Pakistan on September 18. The rest of the members of group would return on September 28.