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Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Pakistan’s Hasan Abdal damaged in fire, SAD seeks probe
The Assistant Commissioner of Hasan Abdal said the blaze began when blankets caught fire from welding work in the gurdwara.
A fire broke out at the Gurdwara Panja Sahib in the Pakistani city of Hasan Abdal, 63 km northwest of the capital Islamabad on Wednesday, local authorities said even as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) called for a probe into the blaze.
“The incident occurred on Wednesday evening when sparks from the ongoing welding work at the Gurudwara caused the blankets kept in the vicinity to catch fire,” said Adnan Anjum Raja, the Assistant Commissioner of Hasan Abdal, according to ANI
The fire was soon put out and caused minor damage to the gurudwara’s hall.
Construction work is underway at the Panja Sahib ahead of the opening of the Kartarpur corridor, when Sikhs from all across the world are scheduled to visit the gurdwara on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.
A devotee took to Twitter to say that the management was successful in putting out the blaze.
On Thursday, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) alleged that the Panja Sahib was an act of sabotage by Pakistani authorities and called for a probe.
“It should be probed whether there was a conspiracy behind the incident, whether the fire was intentionally set. The damage at this building at such time has hurt the sentiments of Sikhs,” ANI quoted SAD leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa as saying.
He also appealed to the Gurdwara management and local administration to restore the hall that was damaged in the fire.
