The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed recent Indian media reports claiming that Hindu pilgrims were denied entry into Pakistan, calling the allegations baseless and misleading.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that Pakistan had granted visas to more than 2,400 Sikh pilgrims for the celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary. On November 4, a total of 1,932 pilgrims crossed into Pakistan through the Wagah–Attari border.
Andrabi explained that nearly 300 visa-holding pilgrims were stopped by Indian authorities on their own side of the border and were not prevented by Pakistan. He also said that Pakistan completed the immigration process smoothly and without interruption.
The spokesperson added that only a very small number of visitors could not enter because their travel documents were incomplete and their responses to routine questions were unsatisfactory. He stressed that this was a standard administrative procedure and had nothing to do with religion.
To suggest that pilgrims were stopped on religious grounds is entirely incorrect, he said, adding that a transparent system exists for visits to religious sites in Pakistan. He said the Indian media has tried to twist the issue and create unnecessary controversy.
Pakistan, he noted, remains committed to facilitating all pilgrims who come for religious harmony and respect.
