Leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi –the Sarna brothers donned the role of unofficial envoys of the Sikh community and bid a fond and warm farewell to outgoing High Commissioner of Pakistan Janab Sohail Mehmood, who returns to his country as its new Foreign Secretary.

This is a rare gesture, and a bold one at that. As electioneering in India is at its fever pitch and the incumbent Bharatiya Janta Party is slugging it out with its diatribe of hate against neighbouring Pakistan as an election plank, the Sarna brothers in Delhi, have bravely picked up the gauntlet and appreciated the role of outgoing Pakistan High Commissioner to India Sohail Mehmood, who has put in his best foot forward for the opening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor.

Sohail Mehmood –the diplomat, showed his humble humane side while referring to the opening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, at the Farewell party hosted in his honour by the Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi, when he said, “Guru Nanak blessed the people of the two countries with the opening of the corridor. No country or leader would otherwise do it on its own. It is a heavenly blessing!”

He also had the clarity to mention that “this has happened at the right time and the governments of both the countries are blessed to have this opportunity at the right time to serve this cause.”

The Sarna brothers –Paramjit Singh Sarna and Harvinder Singh Sarna deserve kudos for showing grace and gratitude to the government of Pakistan and the High Commissioner who leaves India to become the foreign secretary of his country. In so doing, the two brothers, have acted as true envoys of the Sikh community.

“Guru Nanak blessed the people of the two countries with the opening of the corridor. No country or leader would otherwise do it on its own. It is a heavenly blessing!”

Janab Sohail Mehmood, outgoing High Commissioner for Pakistan in India

While appreciating the progress of the work of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, Shiromani Akali Dal Delhi president Paramjit Singh Sarna said that as many as ten thousand Sikhs should be allowed to pass through the corridor in November 2019 and that the visa should be handed over to the pilgrims across the counter.

Secretary General of the party Harvinder Singh Sarna narrated how as many as 170 Gurdwaras in Pakistan have been designated as heritage sites and how the Pakistan government is doing its utmost to preserve the legacy of Sikhism.

Former Vice Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University Dr SP Singh and Sikh scholar Prof. Gurtej Singh also hailed the work of the Pakistan government as well as the outgoing High Commissioner of Pakistan.

Members of the DSGMC including Kartar Singh Chawla, Kultaran Singh Kochhar, Sukhbir Singh Kalra were also present at the farewell function. Young activists Harpal Singh Sarna and Prabhjit Singh Sarna were also present.