In accordance with a bilateral convention on visits to religious shrines, Pakistan has granted 100 visas to Indian pilgrims who seek to visit a number of the neighbouring nation's sacred sites, news agency ANI reported.
From November 22 to December 3, a group of Indian pilgrims will travel to Pakistan to take part in the 314th birthday celebrations of Shiv Avtari Satguru Sant Shadaram Sahib at the Shadani Darbar Hayat Pitafi in Sindh province, according to a statement from the Pakistan high commission.
Every year, thousands of Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India go to Pakistan to observe religious festivals and events, as per the India-Pakistan Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974.
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“The issuance of pilgrimage visas to Hindu and Sikh pilgrims is in line with the government of Pakistan’s efforts for facilitating visits to religious shrines. It is also reflective of Pakistan’s respect for religious places of all faiths and efforts for promoting interfaith harmony,” the statement was quoted by HT in its report.
Hindus from all around the world revere Shadani Darbar, a temple that is more than 300 years old. Sant Shadaram Sahib, who was born in Lahore in 1708, established the Shadani Darbar in 1786.
The statement continued, "Visas issued by the Pakistan mission are in addition to visas granted to pilgrims from other nations who are participating in Hindu and Sikh events."
(With Inputs From Agencies)