Kartarpur photoshoot: Punjab CM demands report, strict action

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Monday took strict notice of a modeling photo shoot at the sacred Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur and has demanded a report on it from the provincial chief secretary.

In a statement issued by the chief minister’s office, it is said that an inquiry on the incident has been ordered and strict action will be taken against the officials who gave permission for it.

“We respect every religious minority living in Pakistan. The incident has hurt the emotions of our Sikh brothers and sisters. After a thorough investigation, we will see strict action against those responsible for it.”

Earlier, Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry took notice of the photoshoot and demanded an apology from the clothing brand behind the campaign for disrespecting the sacred site.

“Kartarpur Sahib is a religious symbol and not a film set,” said Fawad while replying to one of the tweets in which a member of the Sikh community was seen complaining about a photoshoot held at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.

Read more: Fawad demands apology from designer, model for hurting Sikh community’s sentiments

The issue came to light after a reporter belonging to the Sikh community shared pictures of the photoshoot on his personal Twitter account tagging Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony.

“Modelling bareheaded for ladies’ attire, in the premises of Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, by a Lahorite woman, has hurt the religious sentiments of Sikhs,” he said.

Fawad acknowledged the reporter’s stance and asked the model and designer to apologize for hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community.

The Kartarpur Corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district of Indian Punjab. The Kartarpur Corridor, a visa-free crossing, allows Indian Sikhs to visit the temple in Pakistan where Guru Nanak died in 1539.

The white-domed Gurdwara was so close to the border that for decades devotees in India could see it, but not visit.

It was only in 2019 that Pakistan opened a visa-free corridor allowing Sikhs from India to visit Kartarpur after Prime Minister Imran Khan formally inaugurated the corridor during a colourful ceremony.

The Covid-19 pandemic prevented Indians from crossing in 2020. This year authorities agreed to reopen the corridor for birth celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak, which started on November 17 and ended on 26 of this month.