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

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry demanded an apology from the designer and model of a clothing brand for holding a photo shoot at the Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.

“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.

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 Designer and the model must apologise to Sikh Community #KartarPurSahib is a religious symbol and not a Film set….. https://t.co/JTkOyveXvn

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) November 29, 2021

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.

Also read: Navjot Singh Sidhu reaches Kartarpur to attend Guru Nanak’s birth celebrations

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.