Pakistan High Commission issues 100 visas to Indian pilgrims to visit Sindh’s Shadani Darbar shrine
Pakistan has reportedly issued 100 visas to Indian pilgrims who want to travel to several religious sites in the neighbouring country. This comes in line with a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines.
According to the Pakistan high commission, the group of Indian pilgrims will be visiting Pakistan to participate in the 314th birth anniversary celebrations of Shiv Avtari Satguru Sant Shadaram Sahib at the Shadani Darbar Hayat Pitafi in Sindh province from 22 November to 3 December.
Thousands of Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit the neighbouring country to attend religious festivals and occasions every year under the India-Pakistan Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974.
The Pakistan high commission in a statement said, “The issuance of pilgrimage visas to Hindu and Sikh pilgrims is in line with the government of Pakistan’s efforts for facilitating visits to religious shrines. It is also reflective of Pakistan’s respect for religious places of all faiths and efforts for promoting interfaith harmony.”
The statement added that the visas issued by the Pakistan mission are in addition to visas that are granted to Hindu and Sikh pilgrims participating in these events from other countries.
Notably, Shadani Darbar is a 300-years-old temple and is a sacred site for Hindus from various countries. It was founded in 1786 by Sant Shadaram Sahib, who was born in Lahore in 1708.
