The first Sikh pilgrimage group to Pakistan since Operation Sindoor went to celebrate Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Prakash Utsav (birthday) on Tuesday, but the joy was marred by Pakistan’s refusal to allow Hindus to cross the border. The Hindus had completed all immigration and travel formalities at the Wagah border when they were stopped and sent back. Indian officials termed it a shocking and unprecedented move by Pakistani authorities.
This discriminatory act of separating Hindus from Sikhs moments before they were to board a special bus for Nankana Sahib is being seen as a deliberate attempt by Islamabad to create a rift between the two communities after Operation Sindoor. The pilgrims’ travel documents mentioned their religion, and Pakistani authorities singled out the Hindus from the group and sent them back. The Hindu pilgrims had planned to pay obeisance at historical Sikh gurdwaras in Pakistan on the birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism. But they were left disappointed and forced to return.
Among them was Amar Chand, a pilgrim from Delhi, who was traveling with seven members of his family, including four women. He said they crossed the Attari international border and reached Wagah on the Pakistani side, completed all immigration formalities, and even bought tickets for a special bus. Just as they were about to board the bus, Pakistani officials stopped them.
He said, “The Pakistani officials told us, ‘You are Hindus, you cannot go with the Sikh group.'” Amar and his family were forced to walk back to the Indian side of the border, humiliated and dejected. Another group of seven people from Lucknow was also sent back. An intelligence official, who spoke to the Hindu pilgrims who were forced to return, said, “This is unprecedented.” Pakistan may repeat such actions in the future, even treating Hindu pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib, through the Kartarpur Corridor in a similar manner.
The Kartarpur Corridor has been closed since Operation Sindoor, and Sikhs are demanding its reopening. Pilgrims traveling to Pakistan on Tuesday reiterated this demand.
The Pakistan High Commission had issued visas to over 2,100 pilgrims for a 10-day trip, but only 1,796 pilgrims managed to cross the border. More than 300 pilgrims were stopped on the Indian side because they had not followed the protocol while applying for visas. The stranded pilgrims protested at the international border but were ultimately forced to return home. The remaining pilgrims reached Lahore, where they were warmly welcomed by Ramesh Singh Arora, a minister in Pakistan’s Punjab province, and senior officials of the Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board.
