New Delhi: The Union Government has denied permission for a Sikh jatha to visit Pakistan in November for the Parkash Parb of Guru Nanak Dev, citing security concerns.

A letter dated September 12, sent to the chief secretaries of Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi, directed that Sikh organisations be informed and that the processing of pilgrimage applications be stopped, the New Indian Express reported.

“Considering the prevailing security scenario with Pakistan, it would not be possible to send the Sikh pilgrims’ jatha to Pakistan on the occasion of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Gurpurab in November 2025. We request that Sikh organizations in your state be informed, and that the processing of jatha applications be stopped immediately,” the letter said

The decision has led to criticism from political and religious bodies in Punjab. 

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann said the Union government was applying “double standards” by permitting cricket matches between India and Pakistan while disallowing Sikh pilgrimages.

““If you can allow a cricket match between India and Pakistan during the Asia Cup, why should Punjabis' devotion towards their shrines in Pakistan be ignored? Either allow all kinds of engagements with Pakistan or don’t allow any. You can have cricket ties with Pakistan – because the ICC is headed by 'bade sahib ke ladle' and at the same time, tell Sikhs they can’t visit Pakistan due to deteriorating bilateral relations following Operation Sindoor,” Mann said.

Mann also questioned why trade via Wagah is shut and Sikh pilgrims cannot travel to Pakistan but trade from Gujrat and Mumbai to Karachi is allowed. “Does this not reflect the BJP’s anti-Punjab and anti-Punjabi mentality? Perhaps they hate Punjabis because Punjabi farmers forced them to withdraw the three farm laws,” he added.

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal urged Union home minister Amit Shah to reconsider the decision, noting that Sikh pilgrims were eager to pay homage at shrines in Pakistan. 

Congress MLA Pargat Singh said denying jathas while allowing cricket with Pakistan “reflects a painful inconsistency in priorities”.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) also condemned the decision. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said Sikh pilgrims had visited shrines in Pakistan for decades without interruption, and this was the first time such a restriction had been imposed.

Earlier this year, the SGPC collected passports and applied for visas for the November pilgrimage. The group was also unable to send pilgrims in June for the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

The government’s decision follows the Pahalgam terror attack in April, in which 26 people were killed. After the attack, India barred citizens from traveling to Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border. Pakistan, in response, suspended most SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme visas for Indians, except those for Sikh pilgrims.

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