Pakistan issues visas to over 3800 Sikh pilgrims for Guru Parv

NEW DELHI: Pakistan has issued visas to over 3800 visas Sikh pilgrims on the eve of Baba

Guru Nanak

birth anniversary celebrations.


India had earlier this month issued visas to 170 Pakistan pilgrims who wanted to attend a urs ceremony in Punjab. In the absence of any substantive engagement between them, India and Pakistan have sought to focus on religious tourism and humanitarian issues.

The Sikh pilgrims from India will participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev in Pakistan from 21-30 November 2018.

The visit will occur under the framework of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974.

"The over 3800 visas issued by the Pakistan High Commission are in addition to the visas issued to Sikh pilgrims participating in the event from other countries. This is by far the largest number of visas issued in recent years to Sikh yatrees for Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary celebrations, well beyond the maximum number of 3000, mutually agreed between the two countries for this event," said Pakistan high commission in a statement.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood said this was a “special gesture” by the Pakistan Government in view of the anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak commencing in earnest from this year.

“We extend profound felicitations to our brothers and sisters celebrating this auspicious occasion and wish all yatrees a spiritually fulfilling yatra”, he said.

The issuance of pilgrimage visas to Sikh pilgrims is in line with the Government of Pakistan’s efforts for promoting visits to religious shrines and people-to-people interactions, he added.

"This also reflects the commitment of the Government of Pakistan to faithfully implement the bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines," he said.