3,000 Indian pilgrims granted visas for Guru Nanak's 555th anniversary

In celebration of the 555th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi has issued visas to over 3,000 Indian pilgrims.

According to a spokesperson for the Pakistani High Commission, the visas, valid from November 14 to November 23, were granted under the 1974 Pakistan-India religious tourism agreement.

The Indian pilgrims will enter Pakistan via the Wagah border on the morning of November 14, and the main event will take place at the Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib on November 15, Express News reported.

During their 10-day stay, the pilgrims will also visit other significant Sikh religious sites such as Gurdwara Panja Sahib Hassan Abdal, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda Farooqabad, and Gurdwara Rori Sahib Eminabad.

On November 19, the pilgrims will attend a ceremony at the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, and after staying at Gurdwara Dera Sahib Lahore, they will return via the Wagah border on November 24.

The reception for Indian guests at the Wagah border is scheduled for November 14.

Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, has requested the Indian pilgrims to bring US dollars instead of Indian currency to avoid issues with currency exchange rates in Pakistan.

Earlier, Federal Minister for Interior, Syed Mohsin Naqvi, announced the provision of on-arrival visas for Sikh pilgrims from various countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, and it is expected that a large number of pilgrims will arrive in Pakistan this year.

Additionally, according to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Amritsar, the Pakistani High Commission rejected 1,481 visa applications out of 2,244 submitted, issuing only 763 visas.