Baisakhi festival observed as low key affair in Pak due to coronavirus spread

Baisakhi, which is among the main festivals of the Sikh community, was a low-key affair here on Tuesday to prevent the spread of deadly coronavirus that has so far killed 100 people and affected over 5,000 people in Pakistan.

The main ceremony of Baisakhi festival, which is to commemorate the formation of Khalsa panth and celebrate the harvest season, was held at the Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hassanabdal in the country's Punjab Province as a simple event with only a handful number of people attending the programme.

Special prayers were also carried out for the safety and prosperity of people in the country in these testing times when the whole world is affected by the coronavirus.

Globally, the coronavirus pandemic has killed 119,666 people and infected almost two million people, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

In Pakistan, a total of 5,715 people have been affected while 100 killed due to the deadly coronavirus.

Earlier, Pakistan had cancelled major celebrations of Baisakhi festivities in connection with coronavirus in the country.

Evacuee Trust Property Board spokesman Amir Hashmi on Tuesday said that the government had cancelled Baisakhi festival because of coronavirus but a "very simple ceremony" was held in Hassanabdal to mark the festival.

As per the earlier plans, a major Baisakhi event was scheduled to begin here on April 12 with the main programme on April 14 at Gurdwara Hassanabdal.

He said only a few people participated in the event held on Tuesday.

Last year some 2,200 Indian Sikhs and thousands of local Sikhs had participated in the festival.

The Pakistan government was to issue over 2,000 visas to Indian Sikhs for Baisakhi but the process was stopped because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thousands of local Sikhs in addition to pilgrims from India and other parts of the world participate in this event every year.