Chandigarh, September 15: The Union government has denied permission for a Sikh jatha (group of pilgrims) to travel to Pakistan in November for the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, citing security concerns, triggering sharp criticism from Sikh leaders and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.
In a letter dated September 12, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs informed the chief secretaries of Punjab and other states that the pilgrimage would not be possible in the current security climate. “Considering the prevailing security scenario with Pakistan, it would not be possible to send the Sikh pilgrims’ jatha to Pakistan on the occasion of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Gurparb in November 2025. We request that Sikh organisations in your state are informed and that the processing of jatha applications is stopped immediately,” the letter noted.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had begun preparations in July by collecting passports of devotees and submitting visa applications to the Pakistan High Commission. The refusal follows a string of restrictions introduced after the Pahalgam terror attack in April that killed 26 people. Since then, Indian citizens have been barred from traveling to Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border, and Pakistan responded by suspending SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas for Indians, except Sikh pilgrims.
SGPC terms decision ‘insult’
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami condemned the decision, calling it an affront to Sikh religious sentiments. “This decision is an insult to the religious sentiments of Sikh pilgrims. While cricket matches are being played between India and Pakistan, pilgrims wishing to visit their religious shrines are being denied this right in the name of security,” Dhami said.
He appealed to the government to reconsider. “Since Partition, Indian Sikhs have been allowed to visit their religious shrines in Pakistan without interruption. This is the first time such a situation has occurred,” he said, stressing that Sikh jathas have traditionally marked Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary at Nankana Sahib, his birthplace.
The Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950 allows Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit Pakistan’s sacred shrines on four major occasions — Baisakhi, Guru Arjan Dev’s martyrdom day, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary, and Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary. In recent years, thousands have participated; in 2023, over 5,800 Indian Sikhs traveled to Pakistan for Baisakhi, setting a record.
CM Mann attacks Centre
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann strongly objected to the ban, accusing the BJP-led Centre of pursuing policies that hurt Punjab’s people and culture. “It is very difficult to understand whether the BJP’s policy is against Pakistan or against its own people. This reflects the anti-Punjab attitude of the Central Government,” Mann said.
He alleged that while cricket matches with Pakistan are allowed, Sikh pilgrims are barred from visiting Kartarpur Sahib and Nankana Sahib. “If India can play a match with Pakistan, then why can’t devotees go to Sri Kartarpur Sahib and Sri Nankana Sahib to pay obeisance? For us these issues are not politics or business, but emotions, as both these places are big centres of faith for Punjabis,” he said.
The Chief Minister linked the government’s approach to a broader “stepmotherly attitude” toward Punjab, alleging that funds for flood relief remain withheld. “The Central Government has not yet released even the Rs 1,600 crore announced by the Prime Minister,” Mann said.
He further accused BJP leaders from Punjab, including Sunil Jakhar and Ravneet Bittu, of siding with the Centre for personal gain. “These leaders have joined the saffron party to protect their personal interests. They, along with Akalis and others, have done nothing but loot the state’s money,” he said.
Mann also drew comparisons with cultural exchanges, arguing that Punjabi films have been banned on flimsy grounds while cricket proceeds unhindered. “When a Pakistani actress works with a Punjabi actor, the Central Government bans that film and calls Punjabis traitors. Yet cricket matches are organized with Pakistan because of political compulsions,” he said.
Guru Nanak’s Parkash Gurparb is one of the most significant occasions for Sikhs worldwide, drawing devotees to Pakistan’s shrines. For many Sikhs, the government’s refusal has caused deep disappointment. Mann said preventing devotees from visiting these holy places “is not only unjust but also deeply hurts the religious sentiments of millions of Sikhs.”
He stressed the shared cultural bonds across the Punjab border. “There is a communal and cultural bond between the eastern and western Punjab, but these leaders are bent on weakening it with their conspiracies,” he said, reminding that Punjabis made great sacrifices in India’s freedom struggle.
