'You are Hindu': Pak denies entry to 7 Indians; part of Sikh 'jatha'

NEW DELHI: An Indian nationalist who joined a Sikh jatha that crossed into Pakistan to enactment successful the commencement day celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev — the archetypal of the 10 Sikh Gurus and the laminitis of Sikhism — has alleged that Pakistani officials sent him and six of his household members backmost due to the fact that they are Hindus. “Pakistani officials told us, ‘You are Hindu, you cannot spell with a Sikh jatha,’” Amar Chand, who was denied introduction on with his relatives, told quality bureau PTI. He claimed that his household had planned to connection prayers astatine gurdwaras successful Pakistan, adding that they crossed implicit done the Attari–Wagah onshore way and completed each the required formalities there.“We spent PKR 95,000 connected autobus tickets for each 7 members. Then 5 Pakistani officials came and asked america to get down.

The wealth spent connected the tickets was not refunded,” Chand recounted. A erstwhile Pakistani nationalist who came to India successful 1999 and became a national successful 2010, Chand, who is based successful Delhi, mentioned that Indian officials questioned their Pakistani counterparts astir the decision.He besides alleged that 7 much Indian nationals, from Lucknow, were turned distant astatine the border. A jatha (group) of astir 1,900 Sikh pilgrims crossed into Pakistan done the Attari–Wagah borderline connected Tuesday to observe the Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev.

The pilgrims, visiting from November 4 to 13, are scheduled to connection prayers astatine Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. Earlier, the Centre had declined to nonstop Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan for the Parkash Purb celebrations, citing information concerns. The authorities aboriginal granted support for a Sikh jatha to sojourn the gurdwaras.