NEW DELHI, Apr 7: Pakistan has issued more than 2,800 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the country for the annual Baisakhi festival scheduled to be held in Punjab province between April 10 and 14, an official said on Tuesday.
The pilgrims will also visit prominent Sikh religious sites, including Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.
The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi made the official announcement on issuance of visas on Tuesday. According to the High Commission, visas have been issued to more than 2,800 Indian devotees under the 1974 India-Pakistan Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines. This protocol has long been in force to facilitate visits to religious sites between the two countries.
“On the occasion of Baisakhi and the 327th Khalsa Janam Din celebrations, Pakistan has issued more than 2,800 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India,” Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) spokesperson Ghulam Mohyuddin said.
He said the Sikh pilgrims from India were scheduled to arrive via the Wagah border on April 10 with the main ceremony being held on April 14 at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, some 400 kms from Lahore. A group of pilgrims from Punjab and other states will arrive in Pakistan on the occasion of Baisakhi to celebrate the establishment of the Khalsa Panth and the harvest festival.
Baisakhi is a significant festival for the Sikh community, celebrated to mark the spring harvest and the establishment of the Khalsa Panth by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. Gurdwara Panja Sahib serves as the primary hub for the Baisakhi festivities, where devotees participate in Kirtan, Ardas, and Langar.
Gurdwara Nankana Sahib is the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, while Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib is a sacred site associated with the final days of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Special prayers and cultural programs are organised at these sites during Baisakhi.
The issuance of these visas is being viewed as a positive step toward fostering religious harmony and cultural exchange between the two nations. In previous years as well, visas have been granted to thousands of Sikh pilgrims on occasions such as Baisakhi, Guru Nanak Jayanti, and other festivals.
(Manas Dasgupta)
