LAHORE: Over 2,550 Sikh pilgrims from India arrived here on Thursday to participate in festivities marking the 555th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Secretary Fareed Iqbal, Additional Secretary Shrines Saifullah Khokhar, and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Ramesh Singh Arora—also a minority minister in Maryam Nawaz's cabinet in Punjab—welcomed the pilgrims at the Wagah border.
Khokhar said masks will be provided to all pilgrims to protect them from heavy smog. He said extraordinary security arrangements have been made to ensure the pilgrims' safety.
"As many as 2,559 Indian Sikhs arrived in Lahore today via special trains. They were transported to Nankana Sahib on special buses," ETPB spokesperson Ghulam Mohayuddin told PTI.
The main event celebrating Baba Guru Nanak's birth anniversary will be held on Friday at Gurdwara Janamasthan in Nankana Sahib, approximately 80 km from Lahore.
Sikhs from other countries will also attend, alongside local attendees, federal and provincial ministers, and officials from ETPB and PSGPC, Mohayuddin said.
During their stay, pilgrims will be provided with accommodation, food, transportation, and medical facilities, he said.
Pakistan has issued a total of 3,000 visas to Indian Sikhs for the event.
Speaking to the media at the Wagah Border, Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee leader Harjeet Singh Pappa expressed his gratitude to the Pakistani authorities for the warm reception.
"We feel immense joy being here," he said.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee leader Gurnam Singh Jassal said: "We are thankful for the love and respect we receive here."
PSGPC president Arora said the welcome extended to the pilgrims reflects Pakistan's respect and affection for its minorities.
"The Sikh pilgrims from India will carry cherished memories back to their homeland," he said.
During their 10-day stay, the Indian Sikhs will also visit several holy sites, including Gurdwara Sacha Sauda in Farooqabad, Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hassan Abdal, Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Narowal, Gurdwara Rohri Sahib in Eminabad via Gujranwala, and Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore.
The pilgrims will return to India on November 23 via the Wagah Border.