Sikh pilgrims have expressed strong reaction after being barred from travelling to Pakistan, according to Indian media reports.The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has stopped the pilgrims from making the journey, citing prevailing tensions and security concerns between the two countries.  An advisory issued by the ministry formally prevented the travel, Indian media said.Opposition parties and Sikh religious leaders in Indian Punjab condemned the decision.

They remarked that if cricket matches could be held with Pakistan, then there was no justification for stopping Sikh pilgrims from visiting. Sikh pilgrims were scheduled to travel to Pakistan in November for the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the central government had no right to obstruct religious freedom, adding that if cricket matches could take place with Pakistan, it was unreasonable to stop the pilgrims.

Former Lok Sabha member Sukhbir Singh Badal urged Home Minister Amit Shah to reconsider the decision. He stressed that not granting access to Kartarpur would hurt religious sentiments and demanded the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor. Thousands of Sikh pilgrims come to Pakistan every year to commemorate Baisakhi and other religious holidays.

These visits are facilitated under the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, aimed at fostering religious harmony and cross-border understanding. Ahead of this year's Baisakhi festivities, the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi issued more than 6,500 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims, allowing them to visit revered shrines in Pakistan between April 10 and 19, including Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)