New Delhi, July 30: A very special “jatha” of more than 500 Sikh pilgrims have crossed into Pakistan on Tuesday to visit Nankana Sahib and begin commemorations of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev on August 1.
According to ANI news reports, in New Delhi, the Pakistan high commission granted visas to the Sikh pilgrims who were partaking in the special jatha.
In an official statement, the high commission said: “These visas have been granted over and above the issuance of thousands of visas every year under the framework of Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974.”
The statement added, “Government of Pakistan also believes in the policy of promoting visits to religious shrines and people-to-people contacts between Pakistan and India.”
On July 14, Pakistan and India had held their second round of bilateral dialogues to narrow down the differences over the Kartarpur Corridor for travel of Sikh pilgrims.
“We have been able to narrow down the differences since the first meeting held on March 14, 2019. Our technical teams will meet further to ensure seamless connectivity. Details will be further worked out,” SCL Das, Joint Secretary, Internal Security, Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, told media persons.
Pakistan has concurred on a basic level to India’s interest for the development of an extension on the zero lines of the Kartarpur corridor to handle the threat of the conceivable flooding of Dera Baba Nanak.
The Pakistan authorities has also offered visas for the Indian journalists who seek to make news coverage of the talks between the two sides on Kartarpur Corridor connecting two key Sikh religious centres between India and Pakistan.
Also read:
- India, Pakistan limit differences over Kartarpur Corridor; agree to majority of modalities
- Pakistan issues visas to Indian journalists for 14th July Kartarpur Corridor talks coverage