AMRITSAR/CHANDIGARH, November 5 (Nazrana Times): A group of 49 Pakistani Sikh pilgrims returned home through the Attari–Wagah border after receiving special permission from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs. The approval, secured following an intervention by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), spared the pilgrims a lengthy and expensive return journey by air.

The group comprised 21 men, 26 women and two children from Peshawar, Panja Sahib, Lahore, Nankana Sahib and other parts of Pakistan. During their nearly month-long pilgrimage, they visited historic Sikh shrines in Delhi, Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib and Hemkund Sahib.

Special permission enabled their return by land

Regular passenger movement through the Attari–Wagah crossing was suspended following the April 22, 2025, terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Special permission was therefore required for the group to return through the land border. Separate arrangements are made for organised pilgrim groups on designated occasions under the 1974 bilateral protocol governing visits to religious shrines.

The pilgrims had arrived in New Delhi on October 8, travelling from Lahore via Tashkent. Their Indian visas were valid until November 6, and they had initially planned to return to Pakistan by air. However, the cost and length of the journey posed difficulties.

DSGMC President Harmeet Singh Kalka and the committee’s chief adviser, Paramjit Singh Chandhok, approached the Ministry of Home Affairs to seek permission for the group to return through Attari–Wagah. Arrangements for their departure were made after approval was granted.

Visits to Hemkund Sahib and the Golden Temple

Around 40 members of the group also visited Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand. According to the account provided, special arrangements enabled their visit two days before the shrine’s scheduled winter closure on October 10.

The pilgrims paid obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple, in Amritsar and participated in events marking the birth anniversary of Sri Guru Ram Das Ji. They also visited Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib and other gurdwaras in Anandpur Sahib.

Historic gurdwaras visited in Delhi

In Delhi, the group visited Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Gurdwara Nanak Piao Sahib, Gurdwara Damdama Sahib, Gurdwara Bala Sahib and Gurdwara Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. Several pilgrims also had the opportunity to meet relatives living in India.

Travel difficulties preceded the pilgrimage

Visas had initially been issued to 104 pilgrims for the visit. In September, a group of 94 pilgrims, including children, was reportedly prevented from boarding a flight at Faisalabad airport over issues relating to travel documents and return tickets.

After new flight tickets and the necessary approvals were arranged, the 49-member group was able to travel to India.

Efforts underway to obtain refunds for return flights

Group leader Papinder Singh described the pilgrimage as an experience they would remember throughout their lives. He thanked the governments of India and Pakistan, as well as the DSGMC, for helping the pilgrims visit historic shrines and return home by land.

He said the pilgrims had begun cancelling their previously purchased return air tickets and hoped to receive refunds. Paramjit Singh Chandhok said efforts were also being made to help them recover the ticket costs.

Pilgrims appeal for easier religious travel

The pilgrims urged both governments to simplify travel arrangements for religious visits. They said Sikhs living on either side of the border continued to cherish the opportunity to visit historic gurdwaras separated by the 1947 Partition.

They expressed hope that improved facilities would make future pilgrimages easier and help strengthen religious and cultural ties between people in the two countries.