Pakistan welcomed the first group of Indian Sikh pilgrims on Tuesday at the Wagah-Attari border, marking the first major crossing since deadly clashes between the two neighbours in May. More than 2,100 pilgrims were granted special visas to attend a 10-day celebration commemorating the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the revered founder of Sikhism. The event, observed annually at holy sites across Punjab, holds deep cultural and religious importance for the global Sikh community.
Dozens of pilgrims carrying luggage and offerings were seen crossing into Pakistan, where they were greeted with flowers and rose petals by local officials. The arrival marks a rare moment of peace and people-to-people contact amid strained relations between Islamabad and New Delhi. The Wagah-Attari border, the only active land crossing between the two countries, had remained closed to general traffic following May’s cross-border missile and artillery exchanges that left more than 70 people dead.
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The Sikh pilgrims are scheduled to gather on Wednesday at Nankana Sahib, Guru Nanak’s birthplace located about 80 kilometres west of Lahore, before visiting other sacred shrines including Kartarpur, where the guru spent his final years. Indian media reported that around 1,700 pilgrims were expected to cross, though official confirmation from New Delhi was still awaited. The visit comes as religious communities on both sides emphasize spiritual unity despite political divides.
Pakistan’s High Commission earlier stated that the visa approvals were part of Islamabad’s efforts to encourage “inter-religious and inter-cultural harmony.” Indian authorities have reportedly allowed only selected groups to travel for the celebrations, underscoring continued caution amid unresolved border tensions. Meanwhile, the Kartarpur Corridor — a visa-free route inaugurated in 2019 to allow direct access to the Kartarpur temple — remains closed since the May conflict.
Sikhism, founded in the 15th century in Punjab, bridges cultural and historical ties between India and Pakistan. Many of the religion’s most sacred sites, including Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur, lie in Pakistani territory following the 1947 partition. The arrival of pilgrims this week not only renews spiritual connections but also symbolizes a brief respite in otherwise tense bilateral relations between the two nuclear-armed nations.