ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has issued more than 700 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims to attend annual ceremonies marking the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Sikh Guru, scheduled to be held from June 10 to 19, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi said on Monday.
According to the mission, 737 visas were granted to pilgrims traveling from India to participate in the religious events, which are centered at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore. Thousands of devotees, including hundreds from India, are expected to attend the commemorations.
In a statement posted on X, the High Commission said the visas were issued under the framework of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, facilitating Sikh pilgrims’ participation in the annual observances.
Pakistan is home to several of Sikhism’s most revered religious sites and has taken steps in recent years to improve access for Sikh pilgrims, particularly those visiting from India.
Religious tourism has remained one of the few areas of continued engagement between the two neighbors despite strained diplomatic relations.
In 2019, Pakistan opened the Kartarpur Corridor, allowing visa-free access for Indian Sikh pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism.
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Pakistan has continued issuing visas to Sikh pilgrims from India even amid heightened tensions between the two countries following a brief military confrontation in May 2025.
