No entry for Indian envoy in Pakistan’s Gurudwara Panja Sahib: MEA

India’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria was stopped from visiting Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Pakistan’s Hasan Abdal on Saturday, despite having required permissions.

The incident comes barely two months after Pakistani authorities prevented Indian High Commission officials from performing basic consular and protocol duties for Sikh pilgrims who had arrived in Pakistan from India to celebrate Baisakhi.

“The team could not meet the pilgrims on their arrival at Wagah Railway Station on April 12. Similarly, it was denied entry into Gurdwara Panja Sahib on April 14, for a scheduled meeting with pilgrims there. The High Commission was thus prevented from performing basic consular and protocol duties for Indian citizens,” a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said then.

On April 14, High Commissioner Bisaria, who was to visit Gurdwara Panja Sahib at the invitation of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Chairman, was suddenly asked to return while en route to the shrine, for unspecified “security” reasons.

High Commissioner Bisaria was compelled to return without meeting the visiting group.

(The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications, only the headline has been changed)

First Published: Jun 23, 2018 13:40 IST