Pakistan rejects India’s concern about safety of Sikh pilgrims

Pakistan rejected India’s concerns about the safety and security of Sikh pilgrims visiting Pakistan and said it has always facilitated these 'yatris', reported Dawn

Feb 19, 2021
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Pakistan rejected India’s concerns about the safety and security of Sikh pilgrims visiting Pakistan and said it has always facilitated these 'yatris', reported Dawn.

“Pakistan provides maximum facilitation to the Sikh yatris from all over the world, including India, for visiting their religious sites in Pakistan,” Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, the spokesperson of Pakistan’s Foreign Office, said on Thursday at the weekly media briefing.

Earlier, India’s Home Ministry denied permission to around 600 Sikhs to visit Pakistan from 18 to 25 February for the 100th anniversary of Saka Nankana Sahib, Pakistan. The home ministry expressed concerns about the “safety” of the group citing “considerable threat”.

“The Sikh as well as the international community, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who while visiting Kartarpur described it as ‘Corridor of Hope’, have immensely appreciated this landmark initiative of Pakistan,” Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson was quoted as saying by Dawn. 

India, he said, should also facilitate Sikh 'yatris'  for visiting their religious sites in Pakistan.

The Indian government seems wary of sending these pilgrims amid the ongoing protests against the three contentious farm laws by farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana. Reports suggest Indian agencies suspected the situation could be exploited by Pakistan. 

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