SGPC Secures Visas for 1,942 Pilgrims Heading to Pakistan for Baisakhi

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has secured visas for 1,942 pilgrims to visit Pakistan for the annual Baisakhi festival. The group will leave on Thursday, April 10, and return on April 19, visiting prominent gurdwaras. This move is part of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) announced that 1,942 pilgrims have been granted visas to visit gurdwaras in Pakistan for the annual Baisakhi festival from April 10-19. The pilgrims will embark on their journey from India to Pakistan on Thursday, marking a significant religious pilgrimage.

According to SGPC secretary Partap Singh, the passports for these devotees were processed at the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, which has now granted the necessary visas. This annual pilgrimage occurs on the occasion of Khalsa Sajna Diwas, also known as Baisakhi, which holds immense significance for the Sikh community.

The 'jatha' will make their primary stop at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal before visiting other important gurdwaras across Pakistan. SGPC official Satbir Singh Dhami expressed gratitude for the cooperation from the Pakistan High Commission, emphasizing the importance of these visits under the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines established in 1974.

(With inputs from agencies.)