SGPC plans to send Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan in November for Guru Nanak Jayanti despite diplomatic tensions
In a statement, SGPC Secretary Partap Singh said, 'As in previous years, SGPC will send a jatha for the occasion of Sri Guru Nanak Dev's Parkash Gurpurb to visit various historical Gurdwaras in Pakistan.' He added that devotees wishing to join the pilgrimage must submit their passports and a recommendation from the SGPC member in the area to the SGPC's yatra department by August 4.
The pilgrimage includes visits to Gurdwara Janam Asthan Sri Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev, and other sites of religious significance in Pakistan. The arrangements fall under a longstanding framework based on the 1972 Shimla Agreement, which permits Sikh pilgrims to visit Pakistani Gurdwaras four times a year.
Partap Singh said, 'Along with the passport, devotees must include a photocopy of an identity proof such as an Aadhaar card or Voter ID.' He appealed to the devotees to complete their documentation in a timely manner to facilitate visa processing.
Under the existing pilgrimage arrangement, up to 3,000 Indian Sikh pilgrims are permitted to travel to Pakistan for the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. The agreement allows 1,000 pilgrims for the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan and 500 for the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
SGPC had earlier decided not to send a jatha to Pakistan in June for the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire. That decision followed heightened diplomatic strains, including Pakistan's suspension of the Shimla Agreement in late April after India withdrew from the Indus Waters Treaty.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir in which 26 people were killed on April 22. It escalated into military conflict between India and Pakistan until a ceasefire was declared on May 10.
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