Pak Under Fire After Visa Denial To Devotees Without ‘Singh’ Or ‘Kaur’

ISLAMABAD- The Pakistan government has denied visas to 92 Indian devotees who were scheduled to visit the country for Khalsa Sajna Diwas celebrations at Gurdwara Panja Sahib, according to an article published by the Khalsa Vox news portal.

The report said Pakistan had initially issued visas for the period from April 10 to 19, while the Indian government, based on recommendations from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Punjab government, had scheduled the devotees’ visit from April 12 to 21.

According to Khalsa Vox columnist Sudeep Singh, the 92 devotees who were denied visas do not use “Singh” or “Kaur” in their names, but are followers of all ten Sikh Gurus.

In the article, Singh criticized what he described as the Pakistan government’s “flawed policies,” saying the decision had hurt the religious sentiments of Indian families by depriving them of the opportunity to undertake the pilgrimage.

“It appears that Pakistan’s intention is to distance people of the Hindu community from Gurdwaras. Under what seems like a calculated move, Sehajdhari devotees have been denied visas,” Singh wrote.

The article said large numbers of non-Sikh families in India, Pakistan’s Sindh province, and other parts of the world revere the Guru Granth Sahib and conduct family ceremonies in accordance with Sikh traditions.

Singh warned that Pakistan would make a “grave mistake” by pursuing such policies. He described ties between Hindu and Sikh families as “deeply intertwined, like flesh and nails”, saying they cannot be separated.

He also questioned Pakistan’s claims of being sympathetic toward the Sikh community, alleging that its intelligence agency ISI has been involved in sending drugs and weapons into India and supporting pro-Khalistan elements based abroad.

The article referred to a recent case in India’s Punjab in which investigators busted an alleged drug smuggling module with suspected links to Pakistan. Police reportedly recovered 64.62 kg of heroin from the accused.

Meanwhile, Sudeep Singh said Paramjit Singh Chandok, Advisor on Foreign Affairs to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, had raised the visa issue with the Pakistan government.

The article also highlighted the faith of the Sindhi community in Sikh institutions and expressed concern that such policies could, in the future, lead to further restrictions on their entry into gurdwaras. (IANS)