Indian Hindu pilgrims reach Peshawar

PHC chief Dr Ramesh Kumar announced boosting religious tourism between Pakistan and India

LAHORE:

A group of Indian Hindu pilgrims on Saturday left for Peshawar to visit the shrine of Shri Param Hansji Maharaj in Teri village of Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

According to details, Hindu pilgrims reached Pakistan earlier on a four-day visit via the Wagha border to perform religious rites and left for Peshawar via a special Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight.

Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) patron-in-chief and PTI MNA Dr Ramesh Kumar welcomed the pilgrims at the border. Speaking to the media, Dr Ramesh Kumar announced that the government was taking steps to boost religious tourism between India and Pakistan in a bid to bring the people of the two countries closer.

“This is actually in continuation of the previous historical visit, held in November 2021,” he said, adding that, “The primary purpose of Hindu pilgrims, led by Shriman Mahatma Param Nityanand Ji, arriving here is to visit the Samadhi of Shri Param Hans Ji Maharaj / Teri Temple”.

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“Every month one delegation from Pakistan will also depart for India for visiting Dargah of Khwaja Nizam Uddin Aulia in Dehli and Dargah of Khawaja Ghareeb Nawaz in Ajmer Sharif whereas one international delegation will arrive here in Pakistan for visiting religiously significant sites of Hinduism, including the Samadhi of Shri Param Hans Ji Maharaj / Teri Temple and Hinglaj Mata Temple Balochistan,” he stated.

Dr Ramesh said that PHC has reached an important agreement with Pakistan International Airline (PIA) under which Hindu pilgrims across the world, including India, would be facilitated for pilgrimage to holy places in Pakistan.

However, Indian pilgrims were not allowed by the Indian government to fly on Pakistani airlines and therefore, they will be first required to take the route of Lahore via Wagah and then fly to Peshawar on a special flight.

During the four-day visit to Pakistan, Hindu pilgrims will also visit Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hassan Abdal, Katas Raj Temple, Raja Ranjit Singh's Samadhi, Minar-e-Pakistan, Shahi Qila and Badshahi Masjid among other historical sites.