In a reflection of cooperation and challenge, India and Pakistan have issued visas to pilgrims from each other’s countries for two significant religious events, despite certain limitations.
India has approved visas for 100 Pakistani pilgrims to attend the annual Urs of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer Sharif. This event, a key religious gathering held in honor of the revered Sufi saint, will take place at the Ajmer shrine. The approval is significant but falls short of the 500-pilgrim quota initially set by Indian authorities. As a result, 400 eager Pakistani devotees were denied visas, leaving many disappointed. The 100 selected pilgrims are set to depart via the Wagah border on January 5 for the spiritual event.
On the other side, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has granted 94 visas to Indian pilgrims for the three hundred and sixteenth Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Shiv Avtari Stguru Sant Shadaram Sahib. These celebrations will take place at Shadani Darbar Hayat Pitafi in Sindh, Pakistan, starting on Sunday. During the occasion, Charge d’ Affaires Saad Ahmad Warraich expressed his well wishes to the pilgrims and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to safeguarding sacred religious sites and facilitating pilgrimages under the 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines.
While both countries have made provisions for pilgrims, the limited number of approved visa applications underscores the ongoing tensions and logistical challenges surrounding religious diplomacy.
