'You are Hindu': Pak denies entry to 7 Indians; were part of Sikh 'jatha' for Guru Nanak birth anniversary

NEW DELHI: An Indian national who joined a Sikh jatha that crossed into Pakistan to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev — the first of the 10 Sikh Gurus and the founder of Sikhism — has alleged that Pakistani officials sent him and six of his family members back because they are Hindus. “Pakistani officials told us, ‘You are Hindu, you cannot go with a Sikh jatha,’” Amar Chand, who was denied entry along with his relatives, told news agency PTI. He claimed that his family had planned to offer prayers at gurdwaras in Pakistan, adding that they crossed over through the Attari–Wagah land route and completed all the required formalities there.“We spent PKR 95,000 on bus tickets for all seven members. Then five Pakistani officials came and asked us to get down.

The money spent on the tickets was not refunded,” Chand recounted. A former Pakistani national who came to India in 1999 and became a citizen in 2010, Chand, who is based in Delhi, mentioned that Indian officials questioned their Pakistani counterparts about the decision.He also alleged that seven more Indian nationals, from Lucknow, were turned away at the border. A jatha (group) of nearly 1,900 Sikh pilgrims crossed into Pakistan through the Attari–Wagah border on Tuesday to celebrate the Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev.

The pilgrims, visiting from November 4 to 13, are scheduled to offer prayers at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. Earlier, the Centre had declined to send Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan for the Parkash Purb celebrations, citing security concerns. The government later granted permission for a Sikh jatha to visit the gurdwaras.