Pakistan Issues 737 Visas to Indian Sikh Pilgrims for Guru Arjun Dev Ji Martyrdom Anniversary

LAHORE Ali Imran Chattha Nazrana Times Pakistan 
 Pakistan has issued 737 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India for the annual Shaheedi Jor Mela and Martyrdom Day commemorations of Guru Arjun Dev Ji, officials confirmed on Monday.
The pilgrims will visit Pakistan from June 10 to June 19 to participate in religious ceremonies at some of Sikhism's most sacred sites. The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has finalized all arrangements for their stay, including accommodation, transportation, security, medical facilities, and religious services.
A grand welcome ceremony will be held at the Wagah-Attari border on June 10, where Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs and President of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), Ramesh Singh Arora, will receive the pilgrims. He will be accompanied by the ETPB Chairman, Additional Secretary Shrines Nasir Mushtaq, senior ETPB officials, and PSGPC representatives.
Officials said special facilities have been arranged at the border, including on-the-spot immigration services, currency exchange counters, and medical camps to facilitate the pilgrims upon arrival. Media representatives from various local and international organizations are also expected to be present to cover the reception.
According to the schedule, the pilgrims will arrive on June 10 and proceed to Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore for opening ceremonies. On June 11 and 12, they will visit Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal and Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib.
From June 13 to 15, the pilgrims will stay at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, where daily prayers, Kirtan, Ardas, and Langar will be organized. They will also visit several historic Sikh shrines in Lahore, including Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj.
The main ceremony will take place on June 16 to mark the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjun Dev Ji. Special religious congregations, recitations of Gurbani, floral tributes, and commemorative processions will be held at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, the site traditionally associated with the Guru's martyrdom in 1606.
On June 17, the pilgrims will visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Narowal district. They will return to Lahore on June 18 for concluding prayers and a farewell gathering before departing for India through the Wagah border on June 19.
The issuance of visas comes despite continued diplomatic strains between Pakistan and India. While bilateral trade and most people-to-people exchanges remain limited, religious pilgrimages continue under the 1974 Bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines.
ETPB officials stated that all necessary arrangements have been completed to ensure a safe, comfortable, and spiritually enriching visit for the Sikh pilgrims throughout their stay in Pakistan.