In connection with the upcoming Baisakhi celebrations, Pakistan has issued over 6,500 visas to Indian pilgrims to attend the annual festivities taking place in the country.
The Sikh festival is scheduled to be held in Pakistan from April 10 to 19 this year. The visas were issued by the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi as a gesture of goodwill.
The Indian pilgrims would, inter-alia, visit Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Nankana Sahib and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib during their time in Pakistan.
Expressing his views on the occasion, the Charge d’ Affaires Saad Ahmad Warraich, stated that the large number of visas issued by the government of Pakistan was a manifestation of Islamabad's policy to foster harmony and promote understanding between peoples, cultures and religions.
He added that Pakistan would continue to facilitate such visits to sacred and holy sites.
Every year, a large number of Yatrees (pilgrims) from India visit Pakistan to observe various religious festivals and occasions under the framework of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974.