Passports of 23 Indian Sikh pilgrims go missing from Pakistan High Commission

The 23 passports that have gone missing belonged to Sikh pilgrims who wanted to visit the holy shrines in Pakistan including the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara.

IMAGE: AFP PHOTO / SAJJAD HUSSAIN (Photo by SAJJAD HUSSAIN / AFP)

New Delhi: Passports of 23 Indians have gone missing from Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi creating a security scare there, further tensing the relations between India and Pakistan. The 23 passports that have gone missing belonged to Sikh pilgrims who wanted to visit the holy shrines in Pakistan including the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara. The matter was brought to the notice of the Ministry of External Affairs after several of these passport holders filed an FIR with the FIR with police. As per media reports the Ministry has taken up the issue with the Pakistan embassy. The embassy has reportedly blamed a Delhi based travel agent who had collected the passports from the people. The agent in turn blamed the embassy. Pakistan had issued visas to over 3,800 Sikh pilgrims to participate centenary birthday celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev there. The missing of Indian passports from the High Commission of Pakistan is an alarming situation creating a security threat for India. The Ministry of External Affairs has revoked the missing passports lest they be used for breaching Indian security by terrorists. The carelessness in handling of Indian passports at the end of Pakistan embassy could end up further bittering the ties between the countries. This comes at a time when Indian security is already alarmed with Pakistan’s step of opening of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, which other than being a pilgrimage facility, would also provide a passage for terrorists and drug peddlers.