Pakistan Grants Visas to Over 3,000 Indian Pilgrims for Guru Nanak’s 555th Birth Anniversary
In celebration of the 555th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi has issued visas to over 3,000 Indian pilgrims. The visas, valid from November 14 to November 23, were granted under the 1974 Pakistan-India religious tourism agreement.
The pilgrims will enter Pakistan via the Wagah border on November 14. The main event will take place at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib on November 15. During their 10-day stay, they will also visit other significant Sikh religious sites, including Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hassan Abdal, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda Farooqabad, and Gurdwara Rori Sahib Eminabad. On November 19, they will attend a ceremony at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, before returning via the Wagah border on November 24.
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The reception for Indian pilgrims will take place at the Wagah border on November 14.
Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, President of the Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, has advised the Indian pilgrims to bring US dollars instead of Indian currency to avoid complications with currency exchange rates in Pakistan.
In an earlier announcement, Federal Minister for Interior, Syed Mohsin Naqvi, stated that on-arrival visas would be provided to Sikh pilgrims from several countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. A significant number of Sikh pilgrims are expected to visit Pakistan this year.
However, despite the increased number of issued visas, the Pakistani High Commission had to reject 1,481 out of the 2,244 visa applications submitted by Indian pilgrims, granting only 763 visas.
