Govt Allows Sikh Jathas to Travel to Pakistan But MHA to Grant Final Clearance to Applications
The Wire Staff
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New Delhi: The Union government on Thursday (October 2) allowed select Sikh jathas to travel to Pakistan to participate in the upcoming Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev. However, as per the new directions, the final clearance to the applications will be granted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The MHA’s approval comes after criticism over its September 12 directive that barred cross-border travel by Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan on security grounds, reported The Tribune.
The move had sparked protests from Sikh religious bodies and political leaders who had said that pilgrimage should not be singled out while other cross-border activities continued.
As per the new decision, the permission will be granted to jathas specifically recommended by state governments and cleared by central ministries after security vetting.
The applications will have to be first screened and forwarded by the state authorities while the final clearance will be granted by the MHA in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
According to officials, even travellers who have valid Pakistani visas will not be permitted to make independent trips and the approvals must come through the official jatha mechanism.
Thereafter, the authorised delegations will be crossing via the Attari-Wagah border to visit gurdwaras in Pakistan including Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev.
The Tribune cited officials who stated that the process would follow the 1974 India-Pakistan protocol on visits to religious shrines that had previously governed limited cross-border pilgrimage despite strained bilateral ties.
Ever since the Pahalgam terror attack in May and the Operation Sindoor, the visa-free route that previously allowed Indian pilgrims direct access to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur has remained suspended amid increasing hostilities between India and Pakistan.
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