Sikh jatha depart for Pakistan's Lahore to celebrate Baisakhi
Amritsar (Punjab), April 12: A group of Sikh pilgrims departed for Pakistan's Lahore on Tuesday to celebrate the festival of Baisakhi (Khalsa Sajna Day).
"We all are ready to go to the Guru's place to bow the head at Guru Nanak Dev, who is the Guru for Indians and Pir for the people of Pakistan," said a member of the batch.
"We had applied for 900 visa permits but could get permits for only 705, resulting in the disheartening of the 195 whose visas were rejected," Ravinder Singh Khalsa informed.
"We really hope the new Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif to keep the brotherhood amongst countries maintained and ease the Visa system," he said.
Most of the pilgrim devotees have stressed their demand for cancelling the visa requirements to visit the Gurudwara in the neighbouring country.
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Paramjeet Singh, another devotee, said that "such cancellations of visa permits make people lose the only chances for Guru Darshan, which is anyways not easy. We expect the Pakistan PM to make visits to Nankana Sahib Gurudwara as easy as the Kartarpur Sahib."
On November 8, 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the Kartarpur Corridor's integrated check post (ICP) to facilitate the smooth, visa-free movement of Indian pilgrims to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.
People have expressed genuine hopes for Pakistan's newly elected Prime Minister, who belonged to Punjab's Taran Taran. They are optimistic about the improved relations between the countries for neighbourhood, trade and business.
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-PTC News
