More than 2,100 Sikh pilgrims have been granted visas by Pakistan to attend a 10-day celebration marking the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, the country’s High Commission in New Delhi announced last week, AFP reported.
The event comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following deadly cross-border clashes in May — the worst since 1999 — that left over 70 people dead in missile, drone, and artillery exchanges. In the aftermath, the Wagah-Attari border, the only operational land route between the two nations, was shut to general traffic.
On Tuesday morning, Indian pilgrims were seen lining up at the Indian side of the Wagah-Attari crossing, some carrying their belongings on their heads as Border Security Force personnel monitored the process. AFP reporters on the Pakistani side witnessed dozens entering the country, where officials welcomed them with flowers and showers of rose petals.
New Delhi-based media reports suggest that around 1,700 pilgrims were expected to cross over, though there was no official confirmation from Indian authorities. The devotees are scheduled to gather on Wednesday at Nankana Sahib — Guru Nanak’s birthplace, located about 80km west of Lahore — and later visit other revered Sikh sites, including Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak is buried.
Pakistan’s High Commission said its decision aligns with its commitment to fostering “inter-religious and inter-cultural harmony and understanding.”
The Kartarpur Corridor — a visa-free passage opened in 2019 to allow Indian Sikhs to visit the Kartarpur shrine without crossing the main border — remains closed due to the ongoing hostilities.
