AI Generated Summary
- More than 7,500 Sikh devotees have submitted their passports to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee seeking visas to visit historic gurdwaras in Pakistan for the Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev in November, prompting the apex Sikh body to request a significant expansion of the usual pilgrim quota.
- An SGPC delegation led by president Harjinder Singh Dhami met a senior official of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and submitted a formal memorandum urging authorities to relax the prescribed limits and issue visas to the maximum possible number of applicants.
- “Every Sikh has a desire to participate in the celebrations to be held at Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahib,” he said, emphasising that the journey is a spiritual pilgrimage rather than ordinary tourism.
More than 7,500 Sikh devotees have submitted their passports to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee seeking visas to visit historic gurdwaras in Pakistan for the Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev in November, prompting the apex Sikh body to request a significant expansion of the usual pilgrim quota.
An SGPC delegation led by president Harjinder Singh Dhami met a senior official of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and submitted a formal memorandum urging authorities to relax the prescribed limits and issue visas to the maximum possible number of applicants. Officials accompanying Dhami included SGPC member Rajinder Singh Mehta, former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Paramjit Singh Sarna, Manjit Singh GK, SGPC secretary Balwinder Singh Kahloon and manager Rajinder Singh Ruby.
Under the long-standing bilateral arrangements that govern visits to religious shrines, approximately 3,000 Sikh pilgrims are permitted to travel to Pakistan each year across four major occasions, including Baisakhi, the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev, the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary. For the Parkash Purb specifically, the SGPC typically receives visas for around 1,800 of the pilgrims it nominates.
Dhami described the sharp rise in applications as a reflection of deep religious sentiment within the community. “Every Sikh has a desire to participate in the celebrations to be held at Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahib,” he said, emphasising that the journey is a spiritual pilgrimage rather than ordinary tourism. He called on Pakistani officials to adopt a generous approach in light of the unprecedented demand.
SGPC leaders attributed the surge in part to the continued closure of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and the recent denial of visas to certain privately organised Sikh groups. These restrictions, they said, have intensified the longing among devotees to pay obeisance at the birthplace of Guru Nanak and other historic sites associated with Sikh heritage.
The committee has also appealed to the Government of India to take up the matter diplomatically with Pakistan so that as many eligible pilgrims as possible can undertake the visit. Dhami simultaneously reiterated the demand for the immediate reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.
The latest figures follow a strong response to earlier pilgrimages. In 2025, Pakistan issued more than 6,700 visas for the Baisakhi jatha, allowing several thousand devotees to complete the journey. Organisers note that the forthcoming November pilgrimage to Nankana Sahib and other gurdwaras remains one of the most significant annual observances for the Sikh community.
As preparations continue, the SGPC is awaiting a response from the Pakistan High Commission on the request for an enhanced quota.
