Indian Sikh pilgrims enter Pakistan, first major crossing since Operation Sindoor

Pakistan, Nov 4 :  Pakistan on Tuesday welcomed dozens of Sikh pilgrims from India, AFP journalists saw, in the first major crossing since Operation Sindoor. The clashes in May closed the land border between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

More than 2,100 pilgrims were granted visas to attend a 10-day festival marking the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, Pakistan’s High Commission (embassy) in New Delhi said last week.

Tensions remain high between Islamabad and New Delhi after the worst fighting since 1999 took place in May, with more than 70 people killed in missile, drone and artillery exchanges.

The Wagah-Attari border — the only active land crossing between the two countries — was closed to general traffic following the violence.

Pilgrims queued up on the Indian side of the border on Tuesday morning, some carrying their luggage on their heads, as the Indian Border Security Force looked on.

AFP journalists on the Pakistani side of the Wagah-Attari border saw dozens of them entering Pakistan.

They were received by Pakistani officials who presented them with flowers and showered them with rose petals.

Media reported that around 1,700 were due to cross into Pakistan, although there was no immediate official confirmation from Indian authorities.

The pilgrims will gather on Wednesday at Nankana Sahib, Guru Nanak’s birthplace, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) west of Lahore by road, and later visit other sacred sites in Pakistan, including Kartarpur, where the guru is buried.

Pakistan’s High Commission had said last week its decision was consistent with efforts to promote “inter-religious and inter-cultural harmony and understanding”.

Newspapers reported on Saturday that the government would allow “selected” groups to travel to Pakistan.

The Kartarpur Corridor, a visa-free route that opened in 2019, allows Indian Sikhs to visit the temple without crossing the main border, remained closed since May.

-PTI