ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued visas to over 220 Hindu pilgrims from India to participate in the 310th birthday celebrations of Shiv Avtari Satguru Sant Shadaram Sahib temple located in Sukkur.
According to a statement by the high commission on Wednesday, the visas were issued to the Indian pilgrims to take part in the celebrations scheduled to be held from December 5-16 in line with the Government of Pakistan’s efforts for promoting visits to religious shrines and enhancing people-to-people exchanges.
“It also reflected the commitment of Pakistan to faithfully implement the bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines,” it added.
Under the framework of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, a large number of Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India arrive in Pakistan every year to participate in various religious festivals.
The 300-year-old temple is a sacred place for devotees from across the world including Pakistan’s regional rival India. It is believed that the foundation of the temple was laid at Hayat Pitafi Tehsil, Mirpur Mathelo, Ghotki district in 1786 by Sant Shadaram Sahib, who was born in Lahore in 1708.
Earlier last week, more than 3,800 Sikh pilgrims arrived in Pakistan for participating in the 549th birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
The issuance of visas to Indian pilgrims comes days after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the “Kartarpur Corridor” which is of religious importance for the Sikh community.
In his speech, the premier said that his party – the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the country’s army want to mend ties with arch-foe India, in what appears to be another attempt to improve fractious relations.
The Pakistan government will open the four-km-long visa-free corridor on Baba Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary next year.
Despite the kartarpur corridor development, New Delhi has refused to mend ties with Pakistan though Islamabad is trying to repair the relations with New Delhi for regional peace and stability.
