New Delhi: In view of the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, a jatha of Sikh pilgrims will not be allowed to visit Pakistan for the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev in November this year.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has written to the chief secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, citing security concerns and strained relations between the two countries.
A letter issued by the Under Secretary of the Department stated that, due to the prevailing situation, it would not be possible to send Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan. The states have been asked to inform Sikh organisations and not to begin the process of collecting applications and passports.
India had severed diplomatic and trade ties with Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack. The Attari border was subsequently closed for bilateral trade and transit, and tensions between the two neighbours escalated to near-war levels.
