A total of 2,840 visas have been issued to Indian Sikh pilgrims traveling to Pakistan to mark Khalsa Sajna Diwas (Baisakhi) celebrations at historic Sikh shrines.
According to officials of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), 1,795 passport applications were submitted to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi for the SGPC-led pilgrimage group. Out of these, 1,763 visas were approved, while 32 applications were rejected.
SGPC Secretary Balwinder Singh Kahlwan stated that the approved pilgrims will depart from the SGPC headquarters on April 10 amid religious chants and will travel to Pakistan via the Attari–Wagah border. The delegation will participate in the main Baisakhi celebrations at Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal and visit various Sikh religious sites before returning to India on April 19.
Pilgrims whose visas have been approved have been instructed to collect their passports from the SGPC office on April 9 during official working hours.
Apart from SGPC pilgrims, the Pakistan government also issued visas to other Sikh organizations, including 409 visas to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), 176 to the Jammu Gurdwara Committee, 255 to the Haryana Committee, 78 to pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, and additional visas issued individually.
The DSGMC had submitted 451 visa applications, of which 409 were approved. DSGMC President Harmeet Singh Kalka expressed gratitude, stating that the visas were granted by the grace of the Guru. However, he noted that some applicants reportedly did not receive visas due to naming discrepancies, particularly where traditional Sikh surnames such as “Singh” or “Kaur” were absent.
Parmjeet Singh Chandok, who assists with visa processing, said that non-Sikh applicants faced difficulties this year despite receiving visas in previous pilgrimages.
The pilgrimage group will cross into Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border on April 10 to attend the annual religious celebrations.
