The Union government has denied permission for a Sikh jatha (group of devotees) to travel to Pakistan in November 2025 to observe Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Parkash Gurpurab, citing heightened security concerns.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had initiated preparations in July, collecting passports from interested pilgrims and submitting visa requests to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi for the 10-day yatra. But in a letter dated September 12, the Ministry of Home Affairs instructed the chief secretaries of Punjab and other neighboring states to halt the process.
“Considering the prevailing security scenario with Pakistan, it would not be possible to send the Sikh pilgrims’ jatha to Pakistan on the occasion of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Gurpurab in November 2025. We request that Sikh organisations in your state are informed and that the processing of jatha applications is stopped immediately,” the ministry’s communication stated.
This is not the first time Sikh yatras have been disrupted due to security concerns. Earlier this year in June, pilgrims were barred from attending the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore.
The restrictions follow the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. In its aftermath, India launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan-based terror camps, escalating tensions between the two countries. Since then, the government has tightened border controls and limited travel through the Attari-Wagah crossing.
In response, Pakistan suspended visas under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Indian nationals, although it kept a limited window open for Sikh pilgrims.
The move has drawn sharp criticism from the SGPC. Its president, Harjinder Singh Dhami, said the government’s stance undermines the faith of the community. “This decision is an insult to the religious sentiments of Sikh pilgrims. While cricket matches are being played between India and Pakistan, pilgrims wishing to visit their religious shrines are being denied this right in the name of security,” Dhami remarked.
Guru Nanak’s Parkash Gurpurab is one of the most important Sikh festivals. Devotees from across the globe travel to Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, the birthplace of Sikhism’s founder, to mark the occasion.
Under the Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950, Sikh pilgrims are allowed to visit Pakistan’s key shrines on four occasions every year: Baisakhi, Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s martyrdom day, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary, and Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birth anniversary.
