Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has said that he will explore the possibility of setting up special courts to expeditiously settle cases of those who had been declared Proclaimed Offenders (POs) after fleeing Punjab during the days of terrorism.
"The Chief Minister has assured the Punjabi diaspora settled abroad that he would take up with the Chief Justice of the High Court, as well as the Central Government, the issue of setting up Special Courts to expeditiously settle cases of those who had been declared Proclaimed Offenders (POs) after fleeing Punjab during the dark days of terrorism," an official statement said on Tuesday.
Singh was responding to a request from a group of NRIs visiting Punjab for the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev.
"The NRIs expressed the concern that many of those who had immigrated abroad were unable to visit Punjab and pay their respects at the Darbar Sahib and other holy places as they had been declared POs on account of their inability to appear before the courts in certain cases," the statement said.
Singh also said he will discuss with the central government the possibility of setting up special courts in a few Indian Missions abroad, such as UK, USA, Canada, Germany and France, where a large Punjabi population resides.
The CM also congratulated the entire Sikh community, especially the NRIs, on the opening of Kartarpur Corridor on the historic 550th Prakash Purb, thus facilitating 'khulle darshan deedar' of the historic gurdwara.
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Speaking on the occasion, President of the Council of Gurdwaras Management Committee UK, Avtar Singh, expressed gratitude to Captain Amarinder Singh for acceding to their long-pending request for getting the blacklist abolished by Centre through his personal efforts.
Several party leaders, government officials and prominent NRIs were also present at the event.