LAHORE: As many as 447 Indian Sikh pilgrims have reached Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Pakistan’s Hassanabdal city to mark the 185th death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The pilgrims, upon arrival, were received by officials of the Evacuee Trust Property Board and the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
The pilgrims expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made by the government of Punjab. Group leader Sardar Khushwant Singh thanked the federal government especially the Punjab government for permitting a large number of Sikh pilgrims to visit their religious places in Pakistan.
The visa to Indian pilgrims is issued under the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, 1974. Each year, a large number of Indian pilgrims visit Pakistan to observe various religious events.
In April this year, more than 3000 Sikh pilgrims from India visited Pakistan to take part in Besakhi Mela. The pilgrims reached Pakistan through the Wagha border to participate in the Mela.
Thousands of Sikh pilgrims from across the world including India, participated in three-day celebrations to mark the 553rd birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak at Gurudwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib in December last year.
