The Pakistan High Commission said Tuesday it has issued more than 2,800 visas to Indian pilgrims to allow their participation in upcoming Baisakhi celebrations. The annual festival, set for April 10–19, will see devotees visiting major Sikh religious sites across Pakistan. Islamabad framed the move as part of efforts to ease religious travel and encourage people-to-people exchanges between the two countries despite wider bilateral tensions. Baisakhi, a central Sikh festival marking the formation of the Khalsa, draws worshippers from around the world, especially to gurdwaras in Pakistan’s Punjab province, including Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak. Officials said the visas were issued under the existing bilateral framework designed to facilitate religious pilgrimages and preserve cultural links between India and Pakistan.
