HASAN ABDAL (Pakistan): This sleepy town on the Grand Trunk Road, 50 km from Islamabad, is home to one of the holiest shrines of the Sikhs. Panja Sahib attracts tourists and pilgrims from all over the world, particularly during Baishaki. The gurdwara now provides shelter to around 200 Pakistani Sikhs and Hindus, who have turned from a prosperous community to refugees following the October 8 earthquake that devastated Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The families hail from Batagram, a small town near Manshera in the Frontier. At least eight members of these families died in the earthquake and several others were injured.

With children playing and adults going about mundane tasks, the sprawling gurudwara appears a picture of normality compared to the chaos in the quake-hit areas. But the quake victims had to undertake an arduous journey before reaching this oasis. They travelled 180 km to reach Panja Sahib.

"We were busy preparing for breakfast when every thing began to shake and we heard strange sounds. The walls around us started to crumble. There were cries all around. We gathered the children and old and sat in the open for the next eight hours only to be confronted with waves of aftershocks. Only late in the evening did we muster courage to cross the river holding each other's hands in search of transport. We could hardly breathe even inside the bus as it shook violently every time the earth trembled. We felt better only after reaching Abbotabad," said Gyan Chand Vij, a homeopath from Batagram town.

The staff of the Pakistan Evacuee Property Trust, which administers the affairs of Panja Sahib, welcomed the families. "I have instructions from my Government to attend to the needs of those who have taken shelter here. My response would have been the same even without instructions. After all, it is my duty as a human being and follower of Islam," Khalid Mehmood Hashmi, deputy administrator of the gurdwara told visiting Indian journalists.

The families were all praise for the Trust and its staff. The victims are still gripped by a fear psychosis caused by the tragedy. "Those who are dead are gone. We are the living corpses. Every night our children wake up to screams. I do not know when we will recover from the horrible experience," said Sewa Ram Rekhi, a priest at the only temple in Manshera town. Their biggest worry is about the future. "With our houses and establishments gone, we do not want to return to our town. We have a peculiar problem compared to other victims.

Since we are a miniscule minority we can't settle anywhere. We would be comfortable in a place like this town which has a multicultural identity," said Om Prakash Malhotra.

Those who have taken shelter in the gurdwara are conscious that it is a place of worship and not meant to provide a roof to people. They would like to move out at the earliest, but to a place where they can also find work.

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