LAHORE, Pakistan: Pakistan has finalised extensive arrangements, including special hospital wards and dedicated train services, to facilitate thousands of Sikh pilgrims arriving from worldwide to mark the 556th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism.
Punjab Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique announced that special wards are being set up in hospitals in Lahore and Faisalabad to provide healthcare facilities to Sikh pilgrims during the celebrations.
Chairing a meeting with Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, Rafique said the arrangements were being made on the special instructions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
He said the government aimed to ensure that pilgrims are treated with courtesy and respect. “Every religion and sect holds Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji in high regard.
The purpose of visiting Nankana Sahib is to express solidarity with the Sikh community,” he said, adding that uninterrupted medical, food, and logistical support would be provided.
The celebrations would begin with the Akhand Paath ritual, while the main ceremony would take place at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib, on 5 November, followed by a Nagar Kirtan procession on 6 November.
Around 2,100 Sikh pilgrims from India and nearly 30,000 devotees from Pakistan and across the world are expected to attend, Minister Arora said.
Arrangements finalised for Sikh pilgrims
According to Nasir Mushtaq, Additional Secretary Shrines at the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), all facilities — including accommodation, langar (community meals), transportation, cleanliness, and healthcare — have been completed in coordination with the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC).
Mushtaq said the arrangements were being supervised by the Federal Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony under the direction of Federal Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf and ETPB Chairman Dr Sajid Mahmood Chauhan.
“We want our Sikh guests to return home with pleasant memories of Pakistan as a land of love, peace, and respect,” he said.
Foolproof security has been implemented, including the deployment of Rangers, Police, Special Forces, and the ETPB Security Wing.
Metal detectors have been installed at major sites, and a “zero tolerance” security policy is in place.
The main gurdwaras — including Janam Asthan Nankana Sahib, Panja Sahib Hasan Abdal, Sacha Sauda Farooqabad, and Darbar Sahib Kartarpur — have been decorated for the festivities.
Special trains for pilgrims
Hundreds of Sikh devotees from Sindh departed on Saturday aboard special trains arranged by Pakistan Railways to attend the celebrations.
A special service carrying more than 230 pilgrims from Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts left under strict security for Nankana Sahib.
Station Master Ayaz Abbasi said the train was operating under full security, with passengers scheduled to return on 7 November.
Another special train, comprising 14 coaches — including one AC business coach and 12 economy carriages — departed from Karachi Cantt Station earlier in the day with 950 Sikh yatrees on board.
Pakistan’s Railways Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi extended his best wishes to the pilgrims, directing officials to provide maximum comfort and facilities during their journey.
“Minorities living in Pakistan enjoy complete religious freedom,” he said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to protecting the rights of all religious communities.
Visa facilitation for Indian pilgrims
According to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, over 2,100 visas have been issued to Sikh pilgrims from India under the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines (1974).
The pilgrims will cross into Pakistan via the Wagah Border on 4 November before proceeding to Nankana Sahib for the main ceremony the next day.
During their stay, the delegation will visit key gurdwaras, including Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Narowal, Rori Sahib in Eminabad, and Dera Sahib in Lahore, before returning to India on 13 November.
Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires in New Delhi, Saad Ahmad Warraich, extended felicitations to the visiting pilgrims, expressing hope that their visit would “help strengthen the bonds of peace and religious harmony between the peoples of Pakistan and India.”
Global participation and symbol of harmony
According to ETPB officials, Sikh pilgrims from Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia are also participating in this year’s celebrations.
All arrangements related to accommodation, food, and transport have been completed, with local administrations ensuring safety and convenience at major religious sites.
The government has described the celebrations as “a symbol of Pakistan’s continued efforts to promote peace, tolerance, and interfaith harmony.”
Despite ongoing political tensions with India, Islamabad has maintained that it will continue to uphold the rights of religious minorities and facilitate the free movement of Sikh pilgrims to their sacred sites.
