Amritsar: Sikh pilgrims board a bus to leave for Pakistan to celebrate the Baisakhi festival, in Amritsar. (PTI Photo/Shiva Sharma)
NEW DELHI: The central government has granted permission for Sikh pilgrims to travel to Pakistan for the upcoming Prakash Purab, the birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, sources said on Thursday. However, the approval applies only to “some selected groups,” with state governments responsible for recommending eligible devotees to the Centre.The pilgrimage would be conducted under the framework of the 1974 bilateral protocol governing visits to religious shrines.According to officials cited by ANI, “The state government concerned will recommend to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Acting on MEA’s inputs, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will give further clearance for the visit, to jathas [groups of pilgrims].”
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The selected devotees would travel to Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border and visit prominent gurdwaras associated with Guru Nanak Dev, including his birthplace Nankana Sahib and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur. The groups would be facilitated by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in coordination with Pakistan’s Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB). The decision marks a reversal from earlier this month when the Centre had barred pilgrims from visiting Pakistan for Prakash Purab celebrations due to security concerns amid recent tensions between the two countries. Every year, thousands of Sikh devotees travel across the border to mark key religious occasions such as Prakash Purab, Baisakhi, and the Martyrdom Day of Guru Arjan Dev Ji. The arrangement is part of the longstanding 1974 India-Pakistan agreement, which allows limited pilgrimages despite strained bilateral relations.Since the 2019 Kartarpur Corridor opening, which enables visa-free travel to the Kartarpur Sahib shrine, religious exchanges have grown, although larger groups still follow the traditional protocol arrangement. Both India and Pakistan are reportedly coordinating closely on security and logistics to ensure the smooth movement of pilgrims during the upcoming celebrations.
