2,420 Sikh pilgrims travel to Pakistan, says Home Affairs Ministry

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday said that 2,420 Sikh pilgrims travelled to Pakistan on November 6 through the Attari border in Punjab to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh faith.

The pilgrims were issued a 10-day pilgrim visa by Pakistan and are expected to return on November 15.

A statement by the ministry said the pilgrims travelled under the banner of various Sikh religious organisations of Punjab and Haryana.

On Tuesday, 433 pilgrims from India also visited Gurdwara Darbar Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, through Dera Baba Nanak, Amritsar to offer prayers on the occasion. Pilgrims included 429 Indians and four Overseas Citizens of India (OCI). All the pilgrims have returned after offering their prayers, the ministry added.

As per a 1974 bilateral protocol, four Sikh jathhas (religious groups) visit important Gurudwaras in Pakistan every year.