Prakash Purb: SGPC objects to 50% pilgrims not getting Pakistan visas
Amritsar News: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has objected to the denial of visas to a large number of pilgrims from the Sikh jatha scheduled to visit Pakistan on November 25 to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Out of the passports sent by the SGPC, about 788 pilgrims have not been given visas.
SGPC president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami said that passports of 1,684 pilgrims were sent by the SGPC to the Pakistan Embassy in Delhi for visa, out of which 788 pilgrims were denied visas, which was very unfortunate. The SGPC has always sent passports for the Jatha as per the Punjab quota, but sadly, this time the visas of about 50 per cent of the pilgrims have been cut.
He said that he had also raised this issue during his visit to Pakistan and at that time the Pakistani authorities had assured that they would work on it with sincerity. But sadly, a large number of pilgrims were not given visas. The SGPC will soon send a delegation to meet officials of the Pakistan Embassy in Delhi over the matter.
On November 25, a jatha of Sikh pilgrims will leave for Pakistan on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, who will attend the prakash purb ceremony at Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahib there. The jatha will return to India on December 4 after visiting various gurdwaras.