New Delhi: India has approved the visit of Sikh Jathas (pilgrim groups) to Pakistan for the upcoming Prakash Purab celebrations marking the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, sources said.
The pilgrimage will take place under the framework of the 1974 bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines. However, only selected groups recommended by the respective state governments will be allowed, the sources clarified.
“The concerned state government will send its recommendations to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which will then forward them to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for final clearance,” a source said.
The decision comes weeks after the Indian government barred Sikh pilgrims from traveling to Pakistan for Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Parkash Purab in November 2025 due to security concerns and strained ties between the two countries.
Under the fresh approval, Sikh devotees will cross into Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border to visit key gurdwaras linked to Guru Nanak Dev, including Nankana Sahib—his birthplace—and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will coordinate the pilgrimage with Pakistan’s Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).
Every year, thousands of Sikhs undertake such cross-border visits on occasions like Prakash Purab, Baisakhi, and the Martyrdom Day of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, under the 1974 India-Pakistan agreement, which allows limited religious travel despite tensions.
Since the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor in 2019, Sikh pilgrims have also been able to visit Kartarpur Sahib visa-free, though larger jathas continue to travel under the traditional protocol.
Both governments are coordinating security and logistics to ensure smooth movement of pilgrims for this year’s celebrations.
