Pakistan High Commission Issues Nearly 3,000 Visas To Indian Pilgrims For Baisakhi Festivals

The Pakistan High Commission announced on Friday that it had issued 2,856 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims to attend the annual Baisakhi celebrations in Pakistan from April 9 to 18.

The High Commission stated that issuing visas to Indian religious pilgrims is consistent with Pakistan's commitment to fully implement the bilateral protocol between the two countries on visits to religious shrines.

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The Pakistan High Commission said on Friday that it had issued 2,856 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims for their participation in the annual Baisakhi celebrations in Pakistan from April 9 to 18. During their visit, pilgrims will visit the gurdwaras of Dera Sahib, Panja Sahib, Nankana Sahib, and Kartarpur Sahib. Every year, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan under the provisions of a bilateral protocol on religious shrine visits. Under the protocol, Pakistani pilgrims visit India every year.

"On the occasion of Baisakhi celebrations, the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi has issued 2,856 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims to participate in the annual festival scheduled to be held in Pakistan from April 9 to 18," the Pakistan mission said in a statement.

It stated that issuing visas to Indian religious pilgrims is consistent with Pakistan's commitment to fully implement the bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines between the two countries.

Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires Salman Sharif congratulated the pilgrims and wished them a "fulfilling journey."

According to the statement, he stated that Pakistan remains committed to preserving sacred religious sites and providing necessary assistance to visiting pilgrims. 

Earlier In February, the Pakistan High Commission had granted 114 visas to a group of Indian Hindu pilgrims for their visit to the Shree Katas Raj Temple, also known as Qila Katas, in Pakistan's Chakwal district.

In a press release, the Pakistan High Commission in India stated that the issuance of visas to Sikh and Hindu pilgrims is consistent with the Pakistan government's efforts to facilitate visits to religious shrines. It stated that the visit of Hindu pilgrims to Shree Katas Raj Temple is covered by the 1974 bilateral protocol on religious shrine visits.

Pakistan Charge d'Affaires Salman Sharif wished the Hindu pilgrims a spiritually rewarding pilgrimage in a press release. He emphasised that Pakistan remains committed to preserving religious sites and assisting visiting pilgrims of all faiths.

Last December, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi granted 96 visas to a group of Indian Hindu pilgrims who planned to visit the Shree Katas Raj Temple from December 20 to December 25.