Badal will accompany the Prime Minister on his visit by bus to Pakistan tomorrow. He will board the Lahore-bound bus along with Vajpayee on its inaugural run.

Badal had a telephonic talk with the Prime Minister yesterday afternoon, during which he requested Vajpayee to include three items in the agenda during the talks with Sharif.

He has requested that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) be permitted to perform services and maintain gurdwaras in Pakistan.

Pakistan should also permit 10 or more persons to form a group and visit gurdwaras located there. There are a large number of gurdwaras in Pakistan including that of Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh Guru.

The third item on the agenda refers to the tercentenarycelebrations of the Khalsa. Since Lahore is the birthplace of Bhai Daya Singh, one of the Panj Piaras (the five beloved ones who were the first to be baptised as Sikhs), a Jatha will commence its journey from Chuna Mandi, Lahore and enter India through the Wagah border to participate in the tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in April.

Badal has suggested that the Pakistan Prime Minister be requested to extend facilities to the Jatha to assemble at Lahore for its onward journey to India to participate in the celebrations at Anandpur Sahib.