Pakistan has termed the allegations leveled by India as baseless and misleading, saying that the Sikh pilgrims’ visa issue was purely administrative in nature.
According to a Foreign Office spokesperson, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued more than 2,400 visas to participate in Baba Guru Nanak’s birthday celebrations.
The spokesperson said that 1,932 Indian pilgrims entered Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border on November 4, but Indian authorities prevented about 300 visa holders from crossing the border.
According to the Foreign Office, the entire immigration process in Pakistan was orderly, transparent and smooth. A few people had incomplete documents, so they were asked to go back.
The spokesperson clarified that the decision to deny entry was not made on religious grounds but on administrative principles.
Pakistan always welcomes pilgrims of different religions and is committed to promoting interfaith harmony.
The Foreign Office spokesperson added that giving the issue a religious or political colour is regrettable and the biased attitude of the Indian media and government is condemnable.
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