Pakistan High Commission Grants Visas to Over 2,800 Indian Pilgrims for Baisakhi Festival

The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued visas to more than 2,800 Indian pilgrims, mainly Sikhs, to take part in the annual Baisakhi celebrations in Pakistan from April 10 to 19, 2026.Baisakhi, a major Sikh festival marking the harvest season and the founding of the Khalsa in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh, draws devotees to historic gurdwaras in Pakistan.

Pilgrims are expected to visit key sites including Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak; Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasanabdal; and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.The move falls under the 1974 India-Pakistan Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, a bilateral agreement that has long facilitated cross-border pilgrimages for Sikhs and Hindus from India, as well as reciprocal visits by Pakistani devotees to religious sites in India.

In its announcement, the High Commission highlighted the issuance as part of efforts to promote people-to-people contacts, cultural exchange, and religious harmony between the two nations despite ongoing geopolitical challenges.

Pilgrims are set to travel through the Attari-Wagah border crossing, with Pakistani authorities expected to provide necessary security and logistical arrangements during their stay.

This year’s figure of over 2,800 visas continues the tradition of annual facilitation under the protocol, allowing Indian Sikh communities to observe the festival at sacred shrines closely tied to Sikh history and heritage.