New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS) Pakistan Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said on Saturday that more than 8,000 Sikh pilgrims from all over the world will visit Pakistan to celebrate the birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, Express Tribune reported.
The minister took to his official Twitter handle to make the announcement and to welcome the pilgrims to “the land of Gurus, Sufis and Yogis”.
The Pakistan High Commission has issued about 3,000 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims to enable them to participate in the 552nd birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak in Pakistan from Nov 17-26, the Dawn reported.
According to a press release issued by the High Commission, the Sikh pilgrims during their stay in Pakistan will visit different gurdwaras, including Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
Visas to the Sikh pilgrims have been issued under the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, which provides for the visit of 3,000 Sikh pilgrims from India for the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak, the report said.
Thousands of Sikh pilgrims residing in countries other than India will also be visiting Pakistan to attend the event.
The Pakistan High Commission in India has extended felicitations to the Sikh community on the 552nd birth anniversary of the founder of Sikh religion. The High Commission also wishes a spiritually rewarding ‘Yatra’ to the pilgrims visiting Pakistan on this occasion, the report said.
The issuance of maximum number of pilgrimage visas is in line with the government’s efforts to promote visits to religious shrines in Pakistan, it said.
–IANS
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