ISLAMABAD: More than 2,000 Sikh pilgrims from India returned home on Thursday after completing a ten-day visit to Pakistan to mark the 556th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism.
A farewell ceremony was held at the Wagah Border, where Additional Secretary Shrines Nasir Mushtaq and Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, who is also President of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), saw off the departing pilgrims.
Speaking on the occasion, Nasir Mushtaq said Sikh pilgrims performed their religious rituals freely and securely during their stay.
He described the Kartarpur Corridor as a “beacon of interfaith harmony and tolerance” and reaffirmed that Pakistan has never denied a visa to any Sikh pilgrim.
Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora thanked the Sikh community for visiting Pakistan and urged India to keep the Kartarpur Corridor open year-round.
“Sikhs across the world hold deep affection for Pakistan,” he said, calling the corridor a bridge of peace between the two countries.
Pilgrims praise hospitality and arrangements
The visiting pilgrims expressed appreciation for the arrangements made by the Government of Pakistan and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB). They said they were overwhelmed by the hospitality and warmth shown by Pakistanis.
“We felt love, peace, and comfort in Pakistan — just like being at home,” said one of the pilgrims, Gurinder Kaur, who described the ten-day visit as “golden days filled with spiritual peace.”
Others praised the preservation of Sikh gurdwaras and Pakistan’s commitment to protecting religious sites “with respect and care.”
Visits to sacred sites
During their visit, Sikh pilgrims performed religious rituals and prayers at key gurdwaras across Pakistan, including Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak; Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Narowal, where Guru Nanak spent his final years.
The gurdwaras were decorated with flowers, banners, and flags for the celebrations, which included Akhand Paath, Bhog ceremonies, Matha Tekna, and Shabad Kirtan. At Panja Sahib, devotees performed ritual baths in the holy pond before prayers.
The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi had issued over 2,100 visas to Sikh pilgrims under the Bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines (1974).
In addition to the Indian pilgrims, hundreds of Sikh devotees from Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia also joined the celebrations this year.
Religious freedom and heritage preservation
ETPB officials said that Pakistan remains committed to promoting religious tourism and preserving Sikh heritage sites.
“Our doors are open to every Sikh pilgrim who wishes to visit the holy sites of Guru Nanak,” said an ETPB representative.
Authorities deployed more than 3,000 police personnel in Hasan Abdal to ensure security during the three-day central celebrations.
After the ceremonies concluded, the pilgrims travelled under special security arrangements to Kartarpur before departing for India.
