Pak Sufi organisation transfers Sikh manuscripts to gurdwara

Islamabad, Sep 24 (IANS) After 90 years of safekeeping, a Pakistani Sufi organisation has transferred 110-year old copies of rare manuscripts of the Guru Granth Sahib to a gurdwara in Sialkot, the media reported on Thursday.

According to the Mitr Sanjh Punjab organisation’s head Iftikhar Warraich Kalravi, the two manuscripts had long been in the safekeeping of Pir Syed Munir Naqshbandi, a revered Sufi elder from Kalra Dewan Singhwala in Gujrat district, reports The Express Tribune.

Known to be an advocate for interfaith harmony, Naqshbandi had offered asylum at his residence to a few Sikh families trying to escape ethnic violence before partition.

“Apart from sheltering the family, he had also salvaged some of their religious scriptures and kept them from being desecrated. Among them were the two manuscripts of Guru Granth Sahib. When the Sufi elder passed away in 1950, he had left the scriptures in the safekeeping of his children and since then they have remained with the family,” Kakravi told The Express Tribune.

Kalravi said that Naqshbandi had always campaigned for Muslim-Sikh brotherhood and also for interfaith harmony in general.

“He was known for his kindness and this what led to the revered Sikh manuscripts coming into his possession. After over 90 years of safekeeping within the Pir’s family, we have now decided that the manuscripts should now be rightfully transferred to the Gurdwara Baba Di Beri.

“This is a great example of Muslim-Sikh friendship and will help further strengthen our relationships,” he told the newspaper.

After being left in dismal state for over 70 years, the Sialkot gurdwara was restored in 2015 following which it once again started welcoming Sikh pilgrims and devotees.