Pakistan issues visas to 3,000 Sikh pilgrims from India

The Pakistan High Commission has issued about 3,000 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims to enable them to participate in the 552nd birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak in Pakistan from Nov 17-26, Dawn reported.
According to a statement issued by the High Commission, the Sikh pilgrims during their stay in Pakistan will visit different gurdwaras, including the Gurd­wara Janam Asthan in Nan­kana Sahib and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.

Visas to the Sikh pilgrims have been issued under the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, which provides for visit of 3,000 Sikh pilgrims from India for birthday celebrations of the founder of Sikhism, the report said.

Thousands of Sikh pilgrims residing in countries other than India will also be visiting Pakistan to attend the event.

The Pakistan High Commission in India extended felicitations to the Sikh community on the 552nd birth anniversary of the founder of Sikh religion.

The High Commission also wish­­ed a spiritually rewarding Yatra to the pilgrims visiting Pakistan on this occasion, the report said.

The issuance of maximum number of pilgrimage visas is in line with the government's efforts for promoting visits to religious shrines in Pakistan.-IANS