Sikh pilgrims in Faisalabad stopped from flying to India over incomplete documents
LAHORE: Around 100 Pakistani Sikh pilgrims, including women and children, were stopped at Faisalabad International Airport on Friday from travelling to India to perform religious rituals at Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib, after the immigration authorities raised questions over their travel documents and arrangements. The pilgrims, who had secured Indian visas independently, arrived at the airport to…
A group of approximately 100 Sikh pilgrims, comprising women and children, faced a setback at Faisalabad International Airport on Friday when Pakistani immigration authorities questioned the validity of their travel documents. The pilgrims, who had independently obtained Indian visas, were prevented from boarding a flight to India for a religious pilgrimage to Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib in India.
The authorities cited the lack of return tickets and a no objection certificate (NOC) from the relevant federal ministry as the reason for stopping their flight. The pilgrims had initially planned to travel to India via the Gulf, rather than through the Wagah border, due to the absence of direct air, rail, or road travel connections between Pakistan and India.
The situation caused distress among the pilgrims, who were reportedly waiting at the airport for around four hours before appealing to authorities to allow them to continue their journey. The government was reportedly considering the possibility of allowing the pilgrims to travel to India via the Wagah border.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
