Nearly 3,000 Sikh pilgrims from India have crossed the Wagah border into Pakistan to participate in the annual three-day Baisakhi Mela festivities.
Welcomed by the Evacuee Trust Property Board and the Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the pilgrims are set to join the main event at Hasan Abdal tomorrow.
During their visit, the pilgrims will also pay homage at Sikh religious sites such as Nankana Sahib and Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur. On April 21, they will converge at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore before returning to India via Wagah on April 22.
Meanwhile, preparations are in full swing for the Baisakhi Mela celebrations in Nankana Sahib, set to begin on April 15 and continue until April 17. Thousands of Sikh pilgrims from the world over, including India, Canada, and the UK, are set to reach Pakistan today.
A notification for holidays in public and private educational institutions in Nankana Sahib has been issued.
The district administration of Nankana Sahib has ensured comprehensive arrangements for the visiting pilgrims, including transportation, accommodation, security, medical facilities, and langar.
Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality extended by Pakistan and emphasized the significance of facilitating the pilgrims' journey. Speaking to the media, he said Islamabad had issued visas to around 3,000 Indian Sikhs for the Baisakhi festival.
The Sikh pilgrims will be transported to Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal by train, Arora said, adding that Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is scheduled to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur soon.
He also urged India to allow Sikh pilgrims to travel from their country to Pakistan by train.
