Assalamu alaikum - Indian Sikh pilgrims granted visas to attend festival in Pakistan
Assalamu alaikum. Indian Sikh pilgrims have now been granted visas to travel to neighboring Pakistan for a religious festival, marking the first significant easing of travel restrictions since the conflict in May. Indian media say selected groups will be allowed to go for a 10-day celebration honoring the founder of the Sikh faith. Tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad remain high after deadly clashes in May - the worst since 1999 - when missile, drone and artillery exchanges killed more than 70 people and led to the closure of the land crossing to ordinary traffic.
The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi says it has issued over 2,100 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India. Tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected to visit Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, which lies about 85 kilometers west of the border. Festivities are set to start on Tuesday.
The frontier itself dates to the end of British rule in 1947, when the subcontinent was divided into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. The Attari–Wagah border in Punjab, closed to general traffic in May, is known for its daily flag-lowering ceremony where people gather to watch soldiers parade at sunset. The recent fighting began after New Delhi accused Islamabad of supporting an attack on tourists on April 22 in Indian-administered Kashmir, an allegation Pakistan denied.
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