In a significant breakthrough, a Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) jatha will leave for Pakistan on June 10, ending a 14-year absence from the martyrdom anniversary observances of Guru Arjan Dev at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore.
The development follows the intervention of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj, who helped bridge a long-standing divide between the SGPC and the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC).
Gargajj welcomed the development and expressed gratitude to both the Indian and Pakistani governments for facilitating the visit. The trip marks the first time since June 2013 that an SGPC-organised jatha has been allowed to travel to Pakistan for the Guru Arjan Dev martyrdom commemorations.
The dispute
The deadlock stemmed from differences over the Nanakshahi calendar.
After the SGPC adopted an amended Nanakshahi calendar in 2013, the dates of several Sikh anniversaries changed, placing Guru Arjan Dev’s martyrdom day in late May or early June. The PSGPC, however, continued to observe the day on June 16 each year according to the original 2003 Nanakshahi calendar.
Pakistan’s visa authorities followed the PSGPC’s dates, resulting in SGPC jathas being unable to travel for the commemorations from 2014 onwards.
For years, the SGPC continued to submit visa applications, but the requests were not approved. By 2023, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami directed the committee to stop sending applications.
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Initially, only the SGPC sent jathas to Pakistan. Over time, after the formation of the PSGPC in 1999, several Sikh organisations also began organising pilgrimages under the provisions of the Shimla Agreement. These included Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi, Bhai Mardana Yadgari Society, Sukhmani Sahib Sewa Society Haryana and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. Many of these organisations continued sending jathas on June 16, while the SGPC remained absent.
How the breakthrough came
The breakthrough can be traced to November 2025 when Gargajj visited Pakistan for the Prakash Gurpurb celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev.
During his visit to Lahore, he offered an ardas at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, where Guru Arjan Dev spent his final days, praying for the resumption of the suspended jatha.
“He held detailed consultations with the PSGPC president and its representatives, who responded positively,” according to a press note issued by the Akal Takht.
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“The prayer offered before the Guru has now been fulfilled,” Gargajj said.
Under the arrangement worked out between the two bodies, the SGPC jatha will observe the martyrdom anniversary on June 18 according to the amended Nanakshahi calendar, while the PSGPC will hold its observance on June 16 in keeping with the 2003 calendar.
Talking to The Indian Express, PSGPC president Ramesh Singh Arora said, “We are happy that SGPC Jatha is visiting after 14 years. We will observe the anniversary on June 16. We have no problem if the SGPC observes it on June 18. We don’t want any controversy. We are happy that the jatha is coming.”
Pilgrimage framework
Under the 1974 agreement between India and Pakistan, four Sikh jathas travel annually to gurdwaras in Pakistan. Up to 1,000 pilgrims are permitted to visit for the Guru Arjan Dev martyrdom anniversary.
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The other three annual visits — for Baisakhi, the Prakash Gurpurb of Guru Nanak Dev and the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh — continued over the years even as the June SGPC jatha remained suspended.
Kartarpur corridor appeal
Gargajj also used the occasion to urge the governments of India and Pakistan to reopen the Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and restore access for pilgrims.
“The entire Guru Khalsa Panth prays daily for unrestricted access to Sikh Gurdhams separated during Partition,” he said.
