ISLAMABAD: Pakistan have once again turned down the provocative and propaganda-based allegations made by the India media about the Hindu community.
Pakistan has strongly dismissed Indian media reports claiming that certain members of the Hindu community were denied entry into Pakistan on religious grounds to attend the birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, scheduled from November 4 to 13.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi termed the allegations “baseless, misleading, and politically motivated,” stating that the issue was purely administrative and not religious.
He clarified that Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi had issued more than 2,400 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India for the event, and 1,932 successfully entered Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border on November 4.
According to Andrabi, around 300 visa holders were actually stopped by Indian authorities from crossing the border.
On the Pakistani side, the immigration process was smooth and without obstruction.
Only a few individuals were found with incomplete documentation and were therefore asked to return to India in line with standard immigration procedures.
The spokesperson said labeling the administrative process as a religious issue was “entirely incorrect and mischievous.”
He reiterated that Pakistan has always welcomed pilgrims of all faiths to its religious sites under a transparent and well-regulated framework.
The decision, he emphasized, was consistent with Pakistan’s sovereign right to manage entry into its territory.
Andrabi further criticized India for attempting to politicize the issue, calling it reflective of the “prejudiced mindset” dominating its government and media.
Meanwhile, Pakistan recently welcomed dozens of Sikh pilgrims from India in the first major crossing since deadly border clashes in May forced the closure of the Wagah-Attari border, the only active land route between the two nations.
Over 2,100 pilgrims were granted visas to participate in the 10-day celebrations marking Guru Nanak’s 556th birth anniversary.
Tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi remain high after May’s violent confrontations, the worst since 1999, which claimed several lives following India’s unprovoked attacks.
The Kartarpur Corridor — a visa-free passage opened in 2019 to allow Indian Sikhs to visit holy sites has also remained closed since the conflict.
