At least 14 Hindu pilgrims from Punjab were denied entry into Pakistan on Tuesday while travelling as part of a Sikh jatha for the 556th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev Ji at Nankana Sahib. The pilgrims were stopped at the Wagah border check post by Pakistan immigration authorities despite having valid visas and clearance from Indian officials.
According to officials, the pilgrims who were denied entry were Pakistan-origin individuals who had settled in India years ago and now hold Indian passports. These pilgrims were part of a larger group of nearly 1,932 devotees who crossed over to Pakistan for the 10-day annual pilgrimage, which will conclude on November 13.
A senior officer from the state intelligence wing stationed at the border said, “Those who were sent back had Pakistani roots and have been living in India for many years. They cleared Indian immigration checks at Attari, but Pakistan authorities refused them entry after verifying their documents.” He added that other Hindu devotees who were part of the same jatha faced no such issues and were allowed to enter Pakistan without delay.
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) also confirmed the development. Committee spokesperson Manjit Singh Bhoma said that at least eight Hindu pilgrims who were part of the DSGMC group were turned back by Pakistan immigration officers. “They were all people who were born in Pakistan and later acquired Indian citizenship,” Bhoma explained.
The decision by Pakistan authorities created confusion and disappointment among the pilgrims. Many of them had travelled long distances to join the jatha for the sacred celebrations at Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which organises and oversees these annual pilgrimages, said that about 40 Hindu devotees were included in the current jatha. “Except for a few who were stopped, most of them managed to enter Pakistan along with Sikh pilgrims,” said Palwinder Singh, head of SGPC’s pilgrimage department. He added that Hindu devotees who follow Guru Nanak’s teachings regularly participate in these pilgrimages to Pakistan.
The jatha’s journey began from Amritsar, where members were seen off from the Golden Temple complex by SGPC officials and religious leaders. Acting Akal Takht jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj also accompanied the group to Pakistan. Once across the border, the pilgrims will visit major Sikh shrines, including Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Hasan Abdal, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda, and Gurdwara Dehra Sahib in Lahore.
However, this year’s pilgrimage began on a tense note because of the restrictions placed by both Indian and Pakistani authorities. The denial of entry to Hindu pilgrims has drawn criticism from several religious groups and leaders, who called the move unnecessary and disrespectful to the spirit of religious harmony that Guru Nanak preached.
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In a separate development, over 200 Sikh pilgrims were not allowed to cross the Attari border by Indian authorities. According to SGPC’s Palwinder Singh, these pilgrims had valid Pakistan visas but lacked final clearance from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). “Some of them had arranged their visas on their own and not through the SGPC. Since their travel was not authorised by the central government, they were stopped at the border,” he said.
The incident caused frustration among the stranded pilgrims, who later blocked the national highway leading to the Attari check post in protest. One of the representatives of the group, Paramjit Singh Jijeani, criticised the Centre for denying them permission to proceed, especially when many had already made travel arrangements.
A total of 2,200 pilgrims were granted visas by Pakistan for the Guru Nanak birth anniversary events. The celebrations, centred at Nankana Sahib, began this week and will continue until November 13. This is the first jatha to visit Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, a recent security operation that led to tightened border restrictions.
Indian officials said that the government had initially refused to allow the jatha’s travel in October due to security concerns, but later granted permission on October 2 after a detailed review. However, the authorities have imposed strict new rules for cross-border religious visits.
Following the Pahalgam terror attack, India barred foreign passport holders — including Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) — from crossing the Attari border. From now on, only Indian citizens with valid passports and government clearance can travel through this route to Pakistan for religious pilgrimages.
The Nehru–Liaquat Pact of 1950 allows Sikh pilgrims to visit sacred shrines in Pakistan on four key occasions every year — Baisakhi, Guru Arjan Dev’s martyrdom day, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary, and Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birth anniversary. These visits have continued for decades, fostering a spiritual connection between the Sikh community on both sides of the border despite political tensions.
This year’s pilgrimage was meant to reaffirm that bond. However, the denial of entry to a section of Hindu devotees and the restrictions faced by Sikh pilgrims have once again highlighted the complexities involved in cross-border religious travel between India and Pakistan.
While the majority of the jatha continues to participate in the festivities at Nankana Sahib and other historical gurdwaras, those turned away have returned home disappointed. Religious bodies in Punjab have appealed to both governments to ensure smoother coordination in the future so that such spiritual journeys can continue without unnecessary obstacles.
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