The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued around 2,843 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to attend Baisakhi celebrations. The annual Baisakhi celebrations are scheduled to be held in Pakistan from April 13–22, 2024.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Pakistan High Commission in India said, "On the occasion of Baisakhi celebrations, @PakinIndia has issued 2843 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the annual festival scheduled to be held in Pakistan from April 13–22, 2024."
It is pertinent to note that the issuance of visas by Pakistan comes under the framework of the 'Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974'. Every year, a large number of Sikh pilgrims from India visit Pakistan to observe various religious festivals and occasions. While Pakistani pilgrims also travel to India every year.
All you need to know: 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol
Further, as per the protocol, devotees with visitor visas can only travel in groups, and the number of these groups is fixed annually.
Moreover, the protocol covers different shrines in India and Pakistan. The Indian shrines include Ajmer’s Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, and Hazrat Amir Khusro in Delhi; Hazrat Mujaddid Alf Sani in Sirhind Sharif, Punjab; and Hazrat Khwaja Alauddin Ali Ahmed Sabir in Kaliyar Sharif.
Whereas the 15 Pakistani shrines that come under the protocols are Gurudwara Shri Nankana Sahib and Gurudwara Shri Panja Sahib in Rawalpindi; Samadhi of Maharaj Ranjit Singh; Shrine of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh; Gurudwara Shri Dera Sahib; Gurudwara Janam Asthan; Gurudwara Deewan Khana; Gurudwara Shaheed Ganj; Singhanian; Gurudwara Bhai Tara Singh; Gurudwara of Sixth Guru, Mozang; Birthplace of Shri Guru Ram Das; Gurudwara Cheveen Padshahi; Mozang; and Shrine at Sree Katasraj in Lahore; Shadani Darbar in Sindh’s Hyat Pitafi; as well as Sadhu Bela in Khanpur; and Mirpur Mathelo (Sindh).
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