Pakistan stops Sikh pilgrims bound for Hemkund Sahib at Faisalabad airport
Pakistani Sikh pilgrims were blocked from traveling to India for a pilgrimage to Hemkund Sahib after immigration officials demanded an NOC that the group claims was never required. The pilgrims were left stranded at Faisalabad airport after missing their flights, amid ongoing tensions regarding land border access.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the bureaucratic and political hurdles faced by religious minorities and the impact of strained diplomatic relations on cross-border travel.
AMRITSAR: In a fresh setback to Pakistani Sikh pilgrims hoping to undertake the pilgrimage to Sri Hemkund Sahib in India, Pakistani authorities on Friday prevented a jatha from travelling to India, leaving the devotees stranded at Faisalabad International Airport after they were asked to produce a No Objection Certificate (NOC), which the pilgrims claimed was not required for their journey.Jatha leader Papinder Singh informed in early Friday that the group was scheduled to fly from Faisalabad to Sharjah at 2.10am and then travel onwards to Delhi.However, immigration officials at the airport stopped them and sought an NOC before allowing them to board the flight.Papinder Singh said that, before the pilgrims reached the airport, Pakistan Punjab,s Sikh minority minister and president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), Ramesh Arora, along with Evacuee Trust Property Board deputy secretary Nasir Mushtaq, had met them at Nankana Sahib and allegedly pressured them…
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