Pak issues over 2,100 visas to Sikh pilgrims

The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi on Wednesday stated that it has issued over 2,100 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the Guru Nanak Jayanti, or Gurpurab, celebrations next month.

“The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued over 2,100 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the Birth Celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, to be held in Pakistan from 04-13 November 2025,” the Pakistani High Commission posted on X.

Both countries had last year agreed through diplomatic channels to extend the validity of the Agreement on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for a further period of five years.

The Agreement, signed on Oct.24, 2019 to facilitate the visit of pilgrims from India to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Narowal, Pakistan through the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, was valid for a period of five years.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the extension of the validity of this agreement ensured uninterrupted operation of the Corridor for use by the pilgrims from India to visit the holy Gurdwara in Pakistan.

India had also urged Pakistan to not levy any fee or charges on the pilgrims, considering the continued requests of pilgrims regarding the removal of $20 service charge levied by Pakistan per pilgrim per visit. The services of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor were suspended earlier this year in view of the security scenario following the heinous April 22 Pahalgam terror attacks.

In an unrelated development, India was to repatriate 500 of its citizens from Thailand after a crackdown on a Myanmar scam hub led to workers fleeing over the border, the Thai prime minister said Wednesday.

Sprawling compounds where internet tricksters target people with romance and business cons have thrived along Myanmar’s loosely governed border during its civil war, sparked by a 2021 coup.

Since last week one of the most notorious hubs — KK Park — has been roiled by apparent raids, with hundreds fleeing over the frontier river to the Thai town of Mae Sot. The upheaval followed an AFP investigation which this month revealed rapid construction at border scam centres, despite a much-publicised crackdown in February.

More than 1,500 people from 28 countries had crossed into Thailand between the start of the crackdown on KK Park and Tuesday evening, according to the administration of the border province of Tak.

Agencies