AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)—Sikh representative body—has blamed the Indian government after Pakistan denied visas to 521 Sikh devotees for observing the martyrdom day of the fifth Sikh master, Guru Arjun Dev, on May 29.
The visit of a Sikh jatha to Pakistan was scheduled from May 21 to May 30.
In a press note the SGPC said, “Due to lack of required permissions from the External Affairs Ministry for visa to Sikh devotees, the Pakistan High Commission did not clear the files. It is disappointing. We will register our protest with the Indian government.”
SGPC Chief Secretary Harcharan Singh said, “Required recommendations were not made by MEA this year. We do not know the reasons behind this, but it could be because of the of current state of Indo-Pak relations. This has happened for the first time.”
