49 Pakistani Sikh pilgrims return home via Attari Border

By Bharat Sharma

49  Pakistani Sikh pilgrims returned to their homeland through the Attari-Wagah border on Wednesday after completing a month-long religious journey to prominent Sikh shrines across India. Their return by road was facilitated after the Indian government granted special permission following a request by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).

The pilgrims, who came from Nankana Sahib and adjoining areas in Pakistan, visited  Hemkunt Sahib, Anandpur Sahib,  Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar and several historic gurdwaras in Delhi during their stay.

The group had reportedly faced difficulties with the prescribed return journey by air, which involved connecting flights and lengthy formalities, taking around 22 to 24 hours. Taking up their concerns, DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka and general secretary Jagdeep Singh Kahlon requested the Indian government to allow them to return home through the Attari-Wagah land border.

The government subsequently granted permission for road travel. After completing immigration and security formalities at the Attari border, all 49 pilgrims were allowed to proceed to Pakistan.

Bhupinder Singh, a pilgrim from Nankana Sahib, said the group had arrived in India on a 30-day visa on the 8th of the month. He described the visit to Hemkunt Sahib and Harmandir Sahib as one of the most memorable experiences of his life.

He thanked the Indian and Pakistani governments and the DSGMC for facilitating the pilgrimage, adding that cooperation from both sides had ensured a smooth journey.

Before returning, the pilgrims appealed to both governments to ensure easier and regular access for Pakistani Sikh devotees to historic gurdwaras in India. They said religious exchanges, similar to visits by Indian pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib through the Kartarpur Corridor in Pakistan, could strengthen people-to-people ties and promote peace and harmony between the two countries.