ISLAMABAD: Pakistan categorically rejected the unfounded and misleading allegations that members of the Hindu community were denied entry into its territory.
In a statement issued here on Thursday, the Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Husaain Andrabi said that these claims are entirely baseless and represent yet another attempt to distort facts and politicize a matter that was purely administrative in nature.
High Commission for Pakistan, New Delhi, had issued over 2,400 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in the celebrations marking the birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji from 4–13 November 2025.
On 4 November 2025, a total of 1,932 pilgrims successfully crossed into Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border. It is pertinent to note that approximately 300 visa holders were prevented by the Indian authorities from crossing over. The entire immigration process on the Pakistani side was smooth, orderly, and free of any hindrance.
A very small number of individuals were found to possess incomplete documentation and were unable to provide satisfactory responses to immigration authorities. Consequently, they were requested to return to the Indian side in accordance with standard procedures.
To suggest that these individuals were denied entry on religious grounds is completely incorrect and mischievous. Pakistan has always welcomed pilgrims of all faiths to visit its sacred religious sites under a well-established and facilitative framework. The action taken was purely administrative, consistent with Pakistan’s sovereign right to regulate entry into its territory.
Any attempt to give this issue a communal or political colour is not only regrettable but also reflective of the prejudiced mindset that increasingly dominates the Indian government and media narratives.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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