CHANDIGARH: Citing security concerns, the Union Government has denied permission for a Sikh jatha (group of pilgrims) to visit Pakistan for the Parkash Parb (birth anniversary) of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, in November this year. This move has triggered a political row in Punjab, with all major political parties criticizing the BJP-led central government and accusing it of "double standards"—particularly in light of the government allowing a T-20 cricket match between India and Pakistan in Dubai.
A letter sent on September 12 to the Punjab Chief Secretary and also to other neighboring states including Haryana and Delhi, stated:
“Considering the prevailing security scenario with Pakistan, it would not be possible to send the Sikh pilgrims’ jatha to Pakistan on the occasion of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Gurpurab in November 2025. We request that Sikh organizations in your state be informed, and that the processing of jatha applications be stopped immediately.”
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, along with the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), questioned the rationale behind the decision.
Speaking to the media at his official residence, Mann said, “If you can allow a cricket match between India and Pakistan during the Asia Cup, why should Punjabis' devotion towards their shrines in Pakistan be ignored? Either allow all kinds of engagements with Pakistan or don’t allow any. You can’t have cricket ties with Pakistan—because the ICC is headed by 'bade sahib ke ladle' (a jibe at Jay Shah, President of the International Cricket Council and son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah)—and at the same time, tell Sikhs they can’t visit Pakistan due to deteriorating bilateral relations following Operation Sindoor.”
Mann demanded the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and permission for Sikh jathas to pay obeisance at their most revered shrines: Kartarpur Sahib and Nankana Sahib. He said he would be writing to the Centre on this issue soon. “While the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor remains closed, trade via Wagah is shut, and Sikh pilgrims cannot travel to Pakistan, trade from Gujarat and Mumbai to Karachi is allowed. Does this not reflect the BJP’s anti-Punjab and anti-Punjabi mentality? Perhaps they hate Punjabis because Punjabi farmers forced them to withdraw the three farm laws,” he alleged.
Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal took to X to urge Home Minister Amit Shah to reconsider the Centre's decision. "Sikh pilgrims are eager to pay homage at Sri Nankana Sahib, and denying them would hurt their religious sentiments. In light of the resumption of sporting ties between Pakistan and India, I also appeal for the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor,” he noted.
Congress MLA from Jalandhar Cantonment, Pargat Singh, also wrote on X: “Nanak Naam Leva Sangat across the world holds deep reverence for the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Denying jathas permission to pay obeisance there, while allowing cricket with Pakistan, reflects a painful inconsistency in priorities.... A nation that takes pride in its diversity should not place financial interests above religious sentiments. Punjab’s voice deserves fairness, dignity, and equal treatment,” he added.
In July this year, the SGPC had begun collecting passports of intending devotees and sending applications to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi for the necessary visas for the 10-day pilgrimage. The SGPC had also been unable to send pilgrims to Pakistan for the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in June this year due to similar concerns.
Condemning the Centre’s refusal, SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami said: “This decision is an insult to the religious sentiments of Sikh pilgrims. While cricket matches are being played between India and Pakistan, pilgrims wishing to visit their religious shrines are being denied this right in the name of security.”
He appealed to the Union Government to reconsider the decision, pointing out that the Sikh pilgrimage to Pakistan has been a long-standing tradition, with jathas visiting for Guru Nanak's birth anniversary for decades. “Since Partition, Indian Sikhs have been allowed to visit their religious shrines in Pakistan without interruption. This is the first time such a situation has occurred,” Dhami added.
Following the Pahalgam terror attack in April this year, in which 26 people were killed, the Union Government imposed stricter travel restrictions, barring Indian citizens from traveling to Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border’s Joint Integrated Check Post (JICP). In response, Pakistan suspended all SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas for Indian nationals, except for Sikh pilgrims.