Pakistan Grants Visas to Over 6,500 Indian Pilgrims for Baisakhi Festival 2025

The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued more than 6,500 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims to attend the annual Baisakhi celebrations in Pakistan, scheduled from April 10 to April 19, 2025.

Pilgrims will visit several prominent Sikh holy sites during the religious festival, including Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, among others. These sites hold deep spiritual significance in Sikhism and are central to the Baisakhi festivities.

In a statement marking the occasion, Charge d’Affaires Saad Ahmad Warraich emphasized that the large number of visas reflects Pakistan’s commitment to promoting interfaith harmony and cultural exchange.

“This gesture by the Government of Pakistan is a manifestation of our policy to foster understanding and respect between different cultures and religions,” Warraich stated. “We will continue to facilitate such visits to sacred and historical sites.”

The facilitation of religious tourism between the two nations is part of the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines (1974), which allows citizens from both sides to participate in key religious events and access sites of historical and spiritual importance.

Baisakhi marks the Punjabi New Year and the founding of the Khalsa Panth by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699. It is one of the most important festivals in Sikhism and attracts thousands of devotees annually.

This latest visa issuance highlights a positive development in people-to-people diplomacy between India and Pakistan and reinforces efforts to maintain cultural and religious ties across borders despite political tensions.