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Indian Kar Sewa delegates flee Pakistan amid rising tensions
Their sudden return comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following a terrorist attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam.
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JK Singh - Mon, 28, Apr 2025
- 11:41 EDT
- 49
Indian Kar Sewa delegates at Attari border. / New India Abroad
A group of revered Sikh delegates associated with Kar Sewa Guru Ke Bagh, who had been overseeing the restoration and upkeep of historical Sikh gurdwaras in Pakistan, have returned to India leaving the ongoing services and project midway following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.
The gurdwaras in Pakistan have long been in a deteriorated condition, prompting the Kar Sewa delegates to travel periodically over the past several decades to carry out vital sewa (voluntary service).
Also Read: The Pahalgam Terror Attack: A Tragic Blow to Kashmir’s Revival
Baba Satnam Singh and Baba Mahal Singh of Kar Sewa Guru Ke Bagh crossed back into India via the Attari-Wagah border on April 25 cutting short their restoration work.
Their sudden return comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following a terrorist attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam.
In response to the escalating situation, the Indian government moved swiftly to sever diplomatic ties with Pakistan, issuing directives for citizens of both countries to return home within 48 hours.
Speaking to journalists at the Attari border, Baba Mahal Singh shared that he had been granted a one-year, three-month visa by the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi and had entered Pakistan for sewa activities on March 23. During this visit, sewa was being carried out at Gurdwara Tambu Sahib in Sri Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Shaheed Singh Singhaniya in Lahore, and Gurdwara Bal Leela Ji in Nankana Sahib.
Baba Mahal Singh expressed concern that if strained relations between the two nations persist, essential restoration and maintenance work at these historic Sikh sites may suffer severely. Despite their commitment to preserving Sikh heritage in Pakistan, current circumstances have forced the Sikhs to pause their sacred mission.
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