The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Thursday objected to the denial of Pakistan visas to half of Sikh devotees. The SGPC had sent passports of 1,684 pilgrims to the Pakistan embassy at New Delhi. The devotees wanted to be part of the celebration of the Sikh faith’s founder Guru Nanak’s Parkash Gurpurb (birth anniversary) at his birthplace at Nankana Sahib in the Punjab province of the neighbouring country.
Out of the 1,684 passports sent to the Pakistan embassy in New Delhi for visa approval, only 788 applicants were not granted the pilgrimage visa under bilateral protocol.
Dhami termed the denial unfortunate.
“The SGPC always sends the passports as per the quota of Punjab. But it is sad that visas were not granted to almost 50% of the pilgrims. This has hurt their sentiments. Governments of both the countries must look into it”, he said.
“During my Pakistan visit, I raised this issue to the authorities concerned there. They assured that they would work for it with utmost sincerity. Sadly, the pilgrims in large numbers were denied visas. Soon, a deputation will be sent to the Pakistan embassy in New Delhi to flag the issue,’ he said.
The jatha of the pilgrims is scheduled to leave for Pakistan on November 25 through the Attari-Wagah border. Apart from being part of the celebrations at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib on November 27, they will also visit various other historic gurdwaras during their 10-day pilgrimage. They will return to India on December 4.
{{/usCountry}}The jatha of the pilgrims is scheduled to leave for Pakistan on November 25 through the Attari-Wagah border. Apart from being part of the celebrations at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib on November 27, they will also visit various other historic gurdwaras during their 10-day pilgrimage. They will return to India on December 4.
{{/usCountry}}The SGPC sends the largest group of pilgrims, while other small Sikh organisations also send groups. Four Sikh jathas (a group of pilgrims) go to Pakistan in a year. The biggest one heads for Nankana Sahib. Another jatha goes on the harvest festival of Baisakhi which is celebrated by Sikhs as Khalsa Foundation Day in April. Two more jathas leave in May-June on the martyrdom anniversary of the first martyr of the Sikh faith, the fifth master Guru Arjan Dev, and the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.