Fourteen pilgrims on their way to Pakistan for the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev were allegedly denied entry at the Attari-Wagah border crossing. Pakistani immigration authorities reportedly stopped the group, citing their Hindu religious identity and stating they were ‘not Sikh.’ The denied pilgrims, split evenly between Delhi and Lucknow residents, had each paid ₹13,000 for a bus tour package, the cost of which was reportedly not reimbursed following the rejection.
This incident occurs against the backdrop of a large-scale approved pilgrimage, with the Union Home Ministry clearing approximately 2,100 individuals for the journey to Pakistan. Islamabad had reciprocated by issuing travel permits for a similar volume of visitors. Reports indicate that around 1,900 Sikh devotees had successfully entered Pakistan via the Wagah border on Tuesday. This represents a significant moment for bilateral people-to-people exchange, especially notable since the ‘Operation Sindoor’ era.
A delegation of Sikh leaders, headed by Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, the Acting Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, is currently in Pakistan for the Gurpurab festivities. Gargaj crossed into Pakistan on November 4. The central event is slated to be held at Gurdwara Janamasthan, near Lahore. Over their ten-day stay, the Indian Sikh pilgrims are scheduled to visit other sacred sites, including Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda in Farooqabad, and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
In a related matter, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has called for the permanent reopening of the Kartarpur corridor. During a press interaction after prayers at the Golden Temple on Guru Purab, Mann urged the central government to take initiative. He noted that with increasing cross-border interactions, including sporting events, and the brief access pilgrims currently have to Kartarpur Sahib, a formal reopening by the Home and External Affairs Ministries is essential.
