You are Hindus: Pakistan denies entry to 14 Indian Hindu pilgrims

NEW DELHI: Fourteen Indian citizens who travelled to Pakistan as part of a large group of pilgrims for Guru Nanak's 556th birth anniversary celebrations were denied entry and turned back after officials reportedly refused to accept them, allegedly saying they were Hindu and not Sikh. 

The pilgrims-Pakistani-origin Sindhi Hindus who later acquired Indian citizenship - had joined around 2,100 devotees cleared by India's Home Ministry to visit Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak. Pakistan had issued travel documents for roughly the same number of people.

On Tuesday, approximately 1,900 pilgrims crossed the Wagah border, the first civilian movement between the two nations since Operation Sindoor, India's military action in May following the Pahalgam terror attack. However, it is now confirmed that 14 people were forced to return.

According to a report by NDTV, Pakistani authorities told them, "You are Hindu… you can't go with Sikh devotees".

The group, which reportedly included pilgrims from Delhi and Lucknow, walked back "humiliated", the report said. In addition, nearly 300 others who had independently applied for visas were stopped on the Indian side due to a lack of mandatory approval from the Home Ministry.

Senior Sikh leaders, including Akal Takht representative Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, SGPC delegate Bibi Gurinder Kaur, and DSGMC's Ravinder Singh Sweeta, were among those who entered Pakistan.  (IANS)

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