India has registered a strong protest at Pakistan governments refusal to grant visa to an "official jatha" comprising 87 pilgrims who wanted to go there on the martyrdom day of Sikh Guru Arjan Dev, sources said here on Friday.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had requested for the visas for the pilgrims under the bilateral Protocol on Visit to Religious Shrines, 1974, they said.

The MEA "expressed its concern at the disregard shown by the High Commission of Pakistan on the religious sentiments and devotion of the Indian pilgrims, especially by Pakistan unilaterally granting restrictive visa (by rail only) to a private group of Indian pilgrims," the sources said.

The MEA called upon Pakistan to immediately grant visa without any restriction, they said. IANS