Amritsar: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami has strongly opposed the Centre’s decision to impose a ₹400 entry fee on pilgrims travelling to Pakistan.
The proposed fee includes ₹200 each for entry and return, which Dhami termed an unjust financial burden on devotees.
He said visiting gurdwaras in Pakistan is a matter of deep faith for Sikhs, and such charges hurt religious sentiments. “Pilgrimage to historic shrines separated during Partition remains a long-standing aspiration of the Sikh community,” he said.
Dhami also pointed out that the SGPC has already been demanding the removal of the $20 fee charged by Pakistan for visits to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
He said imposing an additional fee from the Indian side would place a double burden on pilgrims.
The SGPC urged the Centre to exempt Sikh pilgrims from the fee and immediately withdraw the decision, stating that such measures create unnecessary hurdles in religious travel.
