Giani Kuldeep Singh welcomes India-Pakistan ceasefire, urges lasting peace in Punjab

Amritsar: Acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, on Saturday welcomed the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, reiterating his long-held belief that peace must prevail between the two nations.

He said he had consistently opposed any form of conflict and had offered prayers for peace at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Sri Anandpur Sahib a day earlier.

Giani Gargaj said the contributions of national and international leaders who facilitated the ceasefire would always be remembered.

“This region needs peace and communal harmony, not war,” he said, adding that there are valuable lessons to be learned from the 70-year rule of Sikh misls, and the mistakes of the past must not be repeated.

Meanwhile, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria convened an all-religion meeting at the Guru Nanak Dev Auditorium at Punjab Raj Bhawan in Chandigarh, which Jathedar Gargaj was invited to attend.

In his place, Jaskaran Singh, Media Advisor to the Secretariat of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, participated and conveyed the Jathedar’s message to the Governor.

During the meeting, Giani Gargaj stressed that Punjab must not be turned into a war zone, highlighting the presence of numerous religious sites significant to the Sikh community, whose protection is vital.

He recalled the pain endured by Punjabis, particularly Sikhs and Hindus, since 1947, when several sacred Sikh shrines and Hindu temples remained in Pakistan after the partition.

He urged the central government to avoid any escalation and resolve tensions diplomatically with the help of powerful global players like the United Nations and the United States.

“Punjab is already facing a financial crisis, and a war would only deepen the burden,” he said.