Punjab: 14 Hindu pilgrims, part of jatha, denied entry into Pakistan
Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee spokesperson Manjit Singh Bhoma also confirmed that some Hindu pilgrims were sent back.
At least 14 Hindu pilgrims, part of the jatha that was given a visa for the 556th Guru Nanak birth anniversary celebrations at Nankana Sahib, have been denied entry by Pakistan authorities at the Wagah border check post.
These pilgrims, with Indian passports but having Pakistan origin, were sent back, said people privy to the information. “Those who have been denied entry are basically people of Pakistan-origin who have been staying in India for long and have Indian passports,” said an official of the state intelligence wing posted at the border. “All of them were part of the jatha that was going to Nankana Sahib. They had got clearance from Indian immigration authorities at the Attari check post. But when they entered Pakistan, the authorities checked their documents and sent them back,” said the official, who did not want to be named. “Other Hindu devotees who are part of the jatha faced no hassle in crossing over to Pakistan,” he added.
Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee spokesperson Manjit Singh Bhoma also confirmed that some Hindu pilgrims were sent back. “At least 8 Hindu pilgrims, who were part of DSGMC jatha, were sent back by Pakistan immigration authorities. These were pilgrims who were born in Pak and later got Indian citizenship.”
As many as 1,932 pilgrims crossed over to Pakistan on Tuesday for the 10-day annual pilgrimage ending on November 13. This was the first jatha to travel to Pakistan after Operation Sindoor.
The pilgrims will visit other historical gurdwaras, including Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Hasan Abdal, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda and Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore.
Palwinder Singh, incharge of the pilgrimage department of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) which sends pilgrims to Pakistan, said: “Nearly 40 members of the jatha are Hindus. Barring a few, almost all of them have managed to enter Pakistan along with other jatha members. Hindu devotees who follow Guru Nanak go to Pakistan under the pilgrimage every year.”
200 Sikh pilgrims stopped at Attari
Over 200 Sikh pilgrims were not allowed entry by Indian authorities at Attari check post as they did not have permission from the Union home ministry. “Some Sikh devotees were not allowed to proceed for pilgrimage. They had been issued valid visas, but clearance from the Centre was not there. Pilgrims who had secured a Pakistan visa on their own and did not go through the SGPC channel were also denied entry,” said Palwinder.
The pilgrims who were sent back blocked the national highway leading to the Attari check post. Paramjit Singh Jijeani, who represented the group, hit out at the Centre for denying them entry to Pakistan.
Approximately 2,200 pilgrims were issued visas for the celebrations that are centered at Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
The jatha was seen off at the Golden Temple complex by SGPC members and officials. Akal Takht acting jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj accompanied the pilgrims, who are scheduled to return on November 13.
The Union government granted permission on October 2, two weeks after initially refusing it due to security concerns. Earlier, Sikhs were also barred from visiting Pakistan for Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary in June.
Following the Pahalgam terror attack, India tightened travel restrictions, barring foreign passport holders from crossing the Attari border. Henceforth, only Indian citizens can travel via this route.
The Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950 allows Sikh pilgrims to visit Pakistan’s sacred shrines on four occasions: Baisakhi, Guru Arjan’s martyrdom day, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary and Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary.
