Breking News -Pakistan Stops 92-Member Sikh Jatha at Faisalabad Airport Over ETPB NOC Issue

Ramesh Singh Arora says religious pilgrimage must follow official procedure; pilgrims maintain they held valid Indian visas

Ali Imran Chattha | Nazrana Times

FAISALABAD: Pakistani immigration authorities stopped a 92-member Sikh pilgrim group at Faisalabad International Airport from continuing its journey to India for the Sri Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage after questions were raised over required travel clearances and documentation.
Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) President Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora told Nazrana Times that the group did not have a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), which he said was required for Pakistani Sikh pilgrims travelling abroad under the relevant religious pilgrimage arrangements.

Arora Raises Questions Over Travel Arrangements

According to Arora, the pilgrims were travelling on one-way tickets and their journey had not been organised through a registered tour and travel operator. He said immigration authorities also questioned the group’s return arrangements to Pakistan.
“Religious pilgrimage cannot simply be arranged privately without completing the required government procedures,” Arora said.
Arora further alleged that sponsorship letters presented by members of the group had not been properly authenticated and were arranged privately rather than through a recognised institutional channel.

Nazrana Times has not independently verified the allegations concerning the sponsorship documents.

Pilgrims Say They Had Valid Indian Visas

The pilgrims, however, have presented a different account.

According to The Times of India, jatha leader Papinder Singh said all 92 members possessed valid Indian visas and planned to travel from Faisalabad via Sharjah to Delhi. Their itinerary reportedly included visits to Amritsar, Sri Anandpur Sahib and Sri Hemkund Sahib.
The pilgrims said they had spent nearly Rs2 crore on travel arrangements and missed their scheduled flight after being stopped at Faisalabad airport.
The group had reportedly sought to travel through the Wagah-Attari land crossing. As that route was not available to them for this journey, they arranged a considerably more expensive itinerary through the United Arab Emirates.
Former Indian Rajya Sabha member and Padma Bhushan recipient Tarlochan Singh has separately called on Pakistani authorities to facilitate Pakistani Sikh pilgrims seeking to travel through the Wagah-Attari crossing.

What Governs India-Pakistan Religious Pilgrimages?

Religious pilgrimages between India and Pakistan have long operated under the 1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, which provides a bilateral framework for visits to specified religious sites in the two countries.
This arrangement should not be confused with the Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950, which primarily deals with the protection and rights of minorities in India and Pakistan rather than serving as the principal framework for cross-border shrine visits.
On the Pakistani side, the ETPB and PSGPC are involved in facilitating Sikh pilgrimages, including arrangements connected with accommodation, security, transport and langar during officially organised visits.

Pilgrim List Supplied to Nazrana Times

Names supplied to Nazrana Times in connection with the group include:

Himat Kour, Jaginder Singh, Saran Singh, Jaspal Kour, Jaswant Singh, Mahindar Singh, Sarjeet Kour, Jasbeer Kour, Mehat Kour, Misar Kour, Satbir Singh, Taranjeet Singh, Partab Kour, Sawindar Kour, Jagjeet Kaur, Bhawan Raj Singh, Harnaik Singh, Papinder Singh, Manmeet Singh, Neringen Singh, Saranjeet Kour, Giyan Singh, Sarbat Singh, Minderpal Kour, Aimanpreet Kaur, Tarsaim Kour, Mehak Preet Kour, Ravail Kour, Karan Veer Singh, Kartaar Kour, Har Bajan Singh, Jatendar Singh, Santok Singh, Sujan Singh, Inder Kour, Mahindarpal Singh, Mankaran Singh, Khan Singh, Mehandar Kour, Mehtab Kour, Saroop Kour, Prab Leen Kour, Kirat Kour (infant), Sawinder Singh, Satwand Kour, Mhander Singh, Amer Jeet Singh, Sardeep Singh, Jeevan Raj Singh, Kirn Raj Singh, Jasbeer Singh, Arshmeen Kaur, Gormeet Singh, Gor Mantar Kour, Anoop Kour, Kanwal Preet Singh, Balbeer Singh, Harjeet Singh, Jan Kour, Jatinder Kour, Manveer Singh, Gagan Deep Singh, Dasmeet Kour, Satwant Kour, Ranjeet Singh, Jaspreet Kour, Japnam Singh (child) and Chander Kour.
 

The spellings above have been reproduced from the list supplied to Nazrana Times. They should be checked against official immigration, passport or travel records before publication. The supplied list contains fewer than 92 names, so it should not be described as the complete passenger list unless the remaining names are independently confirmed.

Matter Remains Unresolved

As of the latest information available for this report, there was no confirmation that the jatha had subsequently been permitted to travel.
The central dispute concerns the ETPB NOC, return-travel documentation and sponsorship paperwork. The pilgrims, meanwhile, maintain that they possessed valid Indian visas and are seeking permission to continue their religious journey.
Because an Indian visa and Pakistani exit/administrative clearance are separate matters, possession of a valid destination visa by itself does not resolve the authorities’ objections concerning the group’s departure documentation.