ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday welcomed hundreds of Sikh pilgrims from India in the first major crossing at the Wagah-Attari border since deadly clashes between the two neighbouring countries in May.
The Sikh pilgrims are visiting Pakistan to mark the 556th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism.
The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) said more than 2,100 Indian Sikh pilgrims were granted visas under the 1974 Protocol on Religious Pilgrimages — an agreement allowing citizens from both countries to visit each other’s sacred sites.
The pilgrims crossed into Pakistan through the Wagah-Attari border in Punjab, where they were received by Pakistani officials with flowers and rose petals.
The delegation included senior Sikh leaders such as Jathedar Akal Takht Kuldip Singh Gurgaj, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee leader Bibi Gurinder Kaur, and Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee leader Ravinder Singh Sweeta.
Officials from Pakistan’s ETPB, including Chairman Dr Sajid Mahmood Chauhan and Additional Secretary Shrines Nasir Mushtaq, welcomed the visitors.
“We warmly welcome our Sikh brothers and sisters from India on this sacred occasion of peace, unity and spiritual harmony,” Dr Chauhan said.
Celebrations in Nankana Sahib
The Sikh pilgrims will participate in ten days of religious events organised under the supervision of the ETPB and Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.
The main ceremony will be held on 5 November at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib, about 80 kilometres west of Lahore, where Guru Nanak was born.
Pakistan’s Federal and provincial ministers are expected to attend the ceremony. Around 30,000 devotees from Pakistan and abroad — including from the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom — will join the celebrations.
During their stay, the pilgrims will visit several gurdwaras, including Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak is buried.
Pakistan facilitating Sikh pilgrims
Pakistan’s ETPB officials said comprehensive arrangements had been made for the pilgrims, including accommodation, meals, transport, and medical services.
Rescue 1122 medical teams and ETPB health units will remain on-site throughout the celebrations.
Additional Secretary Nasir Mushtaq said standby electric generators had been installed to ensure an uninterrupted power supply, and foolproof security was in place at all entry and exit points.
“Pilgrims are being provided full facilities to make their spiritual journey comfortable and safe,” he said.
After immigration and customs clearance, the pilgrims were transported to Nankana Sahib in special buses arranged by the ETPB.
They will return to India on 13 November after completing their tour of various gurdwaras across Pakistan.
Border reopens after May conflict
The crossing marks the first large-scale movement across the Wagah-Attari border since fighting between Pakistan and India in May, the worst since 1999.
The border — the only operational land route between the two nuclear-armed neighbours — had been closed to general traffic after the clashes.
The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi said the decision to issue visas reflected Islamabad’s commitment to promoting “inter-religious and inter-cultural harmony and understanding”.
Sikhism, a religion founded in the 15th century in Punjab, has its holiest sites spread across both India and Pakistan.
Main shrines of Sikhs, such as those in Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur, are located in Pakistan.
The Kartarpur Corridor is a visa-free route opened in 2019 Pakistani government to allow Indian Sikhs to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.
