Despite Pakistan's invitation, India has denied permission to Sikh pilgrims to travel to Pakistan to attend Sikh spiritual leader Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji's 486th death anniversary that will be commemorated on September 22 at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur in Narowal district.
Due to the closure of the Wagah/Attari border and the Kartarpur Corridor, no pilgrims from India will be able to attend the ceremonies. However, Sikh devotees from the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and other countries are arriving in Pakistan to participate.
After escalation of tensions in April this year, both India and Pakistan closed the Wagah/Attari border and expelled each other's citizens. Later between May 6 and May 10, the two countries engaged in a short but intense confrontation with each other.
According to the Evacuee Trust Property Board spokesperson, Pakistan had made it clear at the time of the border closure that its doors remained open for Sikh pilgrims around the clock, and they could visit whenever they wished to.
He said Pakistan has once again extended an invitation to Indian Sikhs for Baba Guru Nanak's anniversary, but sources confirm that the Indian government has refused to issue the required no-objection certificates (NOCs) for land travel.
Expressing deep regret over the situation, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora said preventing Sikhs from visiting their holy sites was a violation of fundamental religious rights.
He stressed that no community should be deprived of the freedom to perform its religious rituals and announced that he would share further details with the media in an upcoming press conference.
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