Pakistan has reportedly denied visas to a group of Indian Sikh pilgrims intending to attend the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev at Nankana Sahib, Indian media reported on Saturday.
“We had applied for the Pakistani visa and when we came here, we learnt that our visas had been cancelled. We wanted to go for pilgrimage to Nankana Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan and now we are facing difficulty and we are disappointed after visa cancellation,” said Vijendar Kaur, a female pilgrim.
Every year thousands of Sikhs pay obeisance at the shrine, where the first Sikh guru Guru Nanak Dev was born.
According to the report, citing the Shiromani Akali Dal Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, more than half the pilgrims were denied visas without assigning any reason. “This year, we had applied for 1,860 visas, out of which 971 visas were cancelled. I feel that it is wrong and disappointing for the devotees,” said Ram Singh, a member of the Shiromani Gurudwara Committee.
“We demand that the policy for visas should be flexible and the cancellation of visas at the 11th hour is not justified for a person, who has been waiting to go for the pilgrimage. This is a very important pilgrimage for the Sikhs and the visa policies should be changed so that the Sikhs are able to attend their religious places without any problems,” said Singh.
dan dan guru nanik av ji
guru nanik pargatiya miti dund jag chanan hoya>>> sare sikh yatryo ko ji aya nuu.ate sari gur sikh ko guru nanik k janam ki be ant badhaiya ho
How much we Sikhs wish that the visas are handed out freely for Guru Nanak birthday celebration and other Sikh religious occasions. In fact it will benefit Pakistan too since the increase in number of pilgrims will improve the local economies where the Sikhs will visit.
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