Punjab

Dera Baba Nanak (Punjab), Oct 24 (PTI) Online registration of devotees began on Thursday after India and Pakistan signed an agreement to operationalise the Kartarpur Corridor to allow Sikh pilgrims to visit the holy Darbar Sahib in that country.

For registration of pilgrims, online portal (prakashpurb550.mha.gov.in) has gone live today, an official statement, issued after signing of the pact, said.

Chandigarh, Oct 24 (PTI) Congress candidate Indu Bala won from Mukerian seat in Punjab by defeating her BJP nominee Jangi Lal Mahajan with a margin of 3,440 votes on Thursday.

The seat fell vacant following the death of Congress MLA Rajnish Kumar Babbi. Indu Bala is wife of Babbi.

Chandigarh, Oct 18 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday appealed to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to withdraw the USD 20 service fee imposed by his government on pilgrims visiting the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara.

"I appeal to @ImranKhanPTI to withdraw $20 fee imposed by @PakGovernment on pilgrims to Kartarpur Sahib to facilitate 'khulle darshan deedar' of the final resting place of Guru Nanak Ji Sahib. The world Sikh community will be grateful for this gesture on the part of Islamabad," Amarinder said in tweet.

Chandigarh, Sep 26 (PTI) A day after the CBI submitted before a Mohali court that a new special investigation team will probe the desecration of religious texts in Bargari, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the state government had no faith in the premiere central agency.

Chandigarh, Sep 25 (PTI) A brother of a Germany-based handler of the terror module busted by the Punjab Police recently was arrested for alleged involvement in the dropping of arms and ammunition by drones from across the border, police said on Wednesday.

Gurdev Singh, a resident of Jhaj village in Hoshiarpur, was nabbed by a team of the state special operation cell (SSOC) of the Punjab Police from PAP Chowk in Jalandhar, a police official said.

Fake currency with a face value of Rs 3 lakh was also recovered from his possession, police said.

Chandigarh, Sep 16 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday formed a five-member cabinet sub-committee to check growing menace of stray cattle in the state.

He announced Rs 10 lakh each to the deputy commissioners for opening an additional 'gaushala' (cow shelter) in their respective districts to address this problem.

Chandigarh, Sep 13 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday welcomed the Centre's decision to virtually scrap the controversial 'black list', which he said was totally discriminatory towards the Sikh community.

He said the decision was taken by the Centre, in response to the state government's persistent demand and efforts.

The Centre has removed from its blacklist names of 312 Sikh foreign nationals involved in anti-India activities and only two persons figure in the list now, Union Home Ministry officials said on Friday in the national capital.

Chandigarh, Sep 10 (PTI) A former legislator from Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has sought asylum in India, claiming that minorities were deprived of their rights in the neighbouring nation.

Baldev Kumar (43), along with his wife and two children came to India last month and is presently staying at Khanna in Punjab's Ludhiana district.

"I have come here to seek asylum and will request (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi Sahib to help us," Kumar told reporters in Khanna on Tuesday.

Attari (Amritsar), Sep 4 (PTI) The third round of meeting between delegates of India and Pakistan to discuss and finalise the draft agreement for the operationalistaion of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims was underway here on Wednesday, officials said.

A 20-member Pakistani delegation crossed over to India for the joint secretary-level meeting at Attari in Amritsar, they said.

Pathankot, Sep 2 (PTI) In a major boost to the Indian Air Force's combat capabilities, eight US-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters are set to be inducted into the IAF on September 3, officials said on Monday.

Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa will be the chief guest during the induction ceremony, which will take place at the Pathankot Air Force station.

The AH-64E Apache is one of the world's most advanced multi-role combat helicopters and is flown by the US Army.