Indian Sikhs Conclude Pilgrimage in Pakistan Amid Tight Security

Lahore, November 13 (PTI) – More than 2,000 Indian Sikh pilgrims concluded their 10-day visit to Pakistan, leaving for India under tight security on Thursday. The pilgrimage coincided with the 556th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev.

The key event took place on November 5 at Gurdwara Janamasthan Nankana Sahib, located approximately 80 kilometers from Lahore. This site holds great significance as the birthplace of Guru Nanak.

Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Additional Secretary, Nasir Mushtaq, noted that the Sikh pilgrims had been staying at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore during the final leg of their journey. On Thursday, they were escorted to the Wagah border with security provided by both the police and Pakistan Rangers, a paramilitary force.

The ETPB is responsible for overseeing holy sites important to minority communities in Pakistan.

The pilgrims had entered Pakistan through the Wagah border the previous week.

Noteworthy figures, including Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President and Punjab Minorities Minister Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, as well as Nasir Mushtaq, were present at the Wagah border to bid farewell to the pilgrims.

Mushtaq expressed hope that the returning pilgrims would carry a message of peace and love to the world.

Speaking to the media, Bibi Gurinder Kaur, a leader of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) group, extended gratitude towards the government for their arrangements.

As the pilgrims departed, they were greeted with gifts and flowers at the border.

Arora also called upon India to reopen the Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate further pilgrimages by Sikhs to Pakistan.

Despite these peaceful exchanges, tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad remain high following deadly clashes related to a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in May, where 26 lives were lost.

(Only the headline of this report may have been reworked by Editorji; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)