NEW DELHI: Pakistan has issued 2,856 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the annual Baisakhi celebrations, according to a statement released by the Pakistan Embassy in New Delhi.
The visas were issued under the framework of the ‘Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974’ by the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. The visas granted to the Indian Sikh pilgrims were in addition to the visas granted to Sikh pilgrims participating in these events from other countries.
According to the program, the Indian Sikh pilgrims are scheduled to reach Pakistan via the Wagah border on Sunday, where they will be welcomed. After immigration and customs clearance, the pilgrims will be sent to Panja Sahib Hasan Abdal by a special train. During the visit, the pilgrims would, inter alia, go to Dera Sahib, Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib, and Kartarpur Sahib before returning to India on 18th of this month.
Expressing his views on the occasion, Charge d’Affaires of Pakistan High Commission, Salman Sharif, said Pakistan is committed to preserving sacred religious places and providing necessary facilitation to visiting pilgrims. The issuance of visas to religious pilgrims by the High Commission is in line with the Government of Pakistan’s commitment to fully implement the bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines between the two countries.
It is pertinent to mention here that every year, a large number of Sikh pilgrims from India visit Pakistan to observe various religious festivals and occasions. The issuance of visas by the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi is a positive development that is expected to enhance people-to-people contact between the two countries.
