Sikh pilgrims stranded in Lahore on Baisakhi amid clashes in Pakistan msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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GS Paul
Amritsar, April 12
A jatha comprising 815 pilgrims under different banners on Monday left for Pakistan on the occasion of Khalsa Sajna Divas (Baisakhi) through Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post.
The main event has been scheduled at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal on April 14.
The Pakistan High Commission had issued visa to 1,100 pilgrims for the occasion. In the wake of the Covid threat, the National Command Operation Centre of Pakistan has put a ban on large religious gatherings. The Pak Sikh families were told to avoid their physical presence at Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib.
Many Indian pilgrims too were disappointed after they were denied visa by the Ministry of External Affairs. SGPC had submitted 793 applications out of which 437 got visa.
More than 800 Indian Sikhs arrived in Pakistan's Lahore on Monday to attend the 10-day harvest festival of 'vaisakhi' at a 16th Century gurudwara in Punjab province.
Members of the jatha had to submit a negative report of covid-19, which has been made mandatory for crossing the international border. The health department deputed its teams at the SGPC head office to conduct covid tests