NANKANA SAHIB, Pakistan: Thousands of Sikh pilgrims from across the world — including neighbouring India — have arrived in Pakistan to celebrate the 556th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism.
Pakistan is facilitating the three-day celebrations at the western Punjab city of Nankana Sahib for the main events. Nankana Sahib is the birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak. Pakistan has made extensive special arrangements to ensure smooth participation of Sikh pilgrims in the religious events.
The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi said it had issued over 2,100 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims, who are due to enter via the Wagah border on 4 November to attend the main ceremony at Gurdwara Janam Asthan on 5 November, officials from the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) said.
Local authorities said the celebrations opened with an Akhand Paath (continuous recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib) and will run through 5 November, culminating in a Nagar Kirtan procession on 6 November.
Sikh pilgrims will also visit major gurdwaras, including Gurdwara Janam Asthan (Nankana Sahib), Gurdwara Panja Sahib (Hasan Abdal), Gurdwara Darbar Sahib (Kartarpur) and others in Lahore and Gujranwala.
Pakistan Railway ran special trains from Karachi and Larkana carrying hundreds of pilgrims. Station officials said one service left Karachi Cantt with 14 coaches carrying about 950 yatrees, while a separate special train carried more than 230 pilgrims from Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts.
Health and facilitation arrangements
Pakistan’s Evacuee Trust Property Board and the Federal Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony said they had completed logistics for accommodation, langar (community kitchens), transport, cleanliness and healthcare.
Special medical wards have been set up in Lahore and Faisalabad hospitals, the Punjab health minister announced, and metal detectors and other security measures were installed at major sites.
Pakistani officials said Rangers, police, special forces and a dedicated ETPB security wing would be deployed to ensure safety of Sikh pilgrims.
Additional Secretary (Shrines) Nasir Mushtaq told local media that staff would remain on duty around the clock to ensure pilgrims “return home with pleasant memories of Pakistan as a land of love, peace and respect.”
Preparations are complete for Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 556th Birth Anniversary celebrations in Pakistan. Over 2,100 Sikh pilgrims from India will arrive via Wagah Border on November 4 to participate in the main ceremony at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib on November 5. The… pic.twitter.com/0pZh9mmOWT
— Asif Mehmood (@imasifmehmood) November 2, 2025
Kartarpur corridor and bilateral context
The issuance of more than 2,100 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims is notable given the strained relations between Islamabad and New Delhi since deadly cross-border clashes earlier this year.
The Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines (1974) remains the framework for such pilgrimages, and the Pakistan High Commission said the decision to issue visas rested with Pakistani authorities.
The Kartarpur Corridor — a visa-free route opened by Pakistan in 2019 linking Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak in India with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Narowal, Pakistan — remains a rare example of cross-border cooperation.
International participation and symbolism
ETPB said Sikh pilgrims from Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia were also participating this year. Officials estimate around 30,000 Sikh devotees from Pakistan and abroad will attend the main events.
*556 th birthday celebrations arrangements of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Jee in Nankana sahib..*
On the direction of CM Punjab,Minister specialized Health Khawaja Salman Rafique,Minister Minorities Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora,Secretary Home Punjab Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi and Commisioner… pic.twitter.com/yUK9MStIRM
— Commissioner Lahore Division (@commissionerlhr) November 2, 2025
Indian community organisers in Delhi said a group of around 170 devotees had departed from Gurdwara Rakabganj for Pakistan.
Much of Sikhism’s holy geography lies inside Pakistan after Partition in 1947, and the festival provides both religious solace and a platform for people-to-people contact despite political tensions.
Pakistan’s federal and provincial ministers — including Punjab’s health and minority affairs ministers — inspected arrangements in the run-up to the ceremonies.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the government remained committed to facilitating visits to sacred Sikh sites and to fostering interfaith harmony.
Pakistani officials stressed that religious facilitation would continue irrespective of political differences.
