India stops over 700 Sikh pilgrims from visiting Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: In yet another incident of prejudice against minorities, the Indian government stopped 720 Sikh pilgrims from visiting Pakistan despite having visas, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

According to a communiqué issued by an officer of India’s interior ministry, a copy of which was seen by ARY News, 720 Sikh pilgrims have been barred from traveling to the neighboring country despite having visas issued from the Pakistani embassy.

Sources said that the Sikh pilgrims were scheduled to arrive at their holy place Gurdwara Nankana Sahib on Thursday to attend a religious ceremony.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Indian government had stopped Sikh pilgrims from travelling to Pakistan and from taking part in Baba Guru Nanak 481st death anniversary last year in September.

Last year on June 11, India had turned down a travel request for members of a US government panel seeking to review its religious freedom, saying such foreign agencies had no standing to assess the constitutional rights of citizens.

Since taking power in 2014, the Indian government had faced criticism for attacks on Muslims and the panel has called for the world’s biggest democracy to be designated a “country of particular concern”.