The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi clarified on Sunday that it has issued visas to over 3,000 Sikh pilgrims, allowing them to attend Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary celebrations at Nankana Sahib.
Responding to reports that many pilgrims were denied visas, the commission shared a post on X, stating, “The Pakistan high commission in New Delhi has issued over 3,000 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji to be held in Pakistan from 14-23 November 2024”
The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued over 3000 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the Birthday Celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji to be held in Pakistan from 14-23 November 2024.@ForeignOfficePk@Saadawarraich@epwing_official
— Pakistan High Commission India (@PakinIndia) November 10, 2024
Pakistan's Charge d’Affaires, Saad Ahmad Warraich, extended his sincere wishes to the pilgrims for a fulfilling yatra.
Under the Nehru-Liaquat Pact, a bilateral agreement from April 8, 1950, about 3,000 Sikh pilgrims are permitted to visit Sikh shrines in Pakistan on four major occasions, including Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary, Guru Arjan Dev’s martyrdom day, Baisakhi (the foundation day of the Khalsa Panth), and Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary.
However, on Saturday, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami expressed concern, noting that 65% of the visas requested by the SGPC were denied. He reported that the SGPC had submitted 2,244 passports to the Pakistan High Commission, but 1,481 pilgrims were not granted visas. Dhami urged both governments to address this issue.
The Sikh jatha is scheduled to depart for Pakistan on November 14 through the Attari-Wagah border, participating in celebrations on November 15 at Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak. During the 10-day pilgrimage, the group will also visit other prominent gurdwaras, including Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, Gurdwara Dehra Sahib in Lahore, and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
Other Sikh organizations, in addition to SGPC, have also submitted passports of pilgrims for visa approvals.
