Sikh Pilgrims and Visa Laws implementation

Need to be careful

Around 170 to 195 historically gurdwaras are located in different places in Pakistan. In the absence of Sikh community after August 1947, most gurdwaras were not looked after properly.

Therefore out of hundreds, a few gurdwaras are fully or partially operational for visitation of pilgrimages or yatras. The Pakistan’s government maintained sanctity and renovation of the prominent Sikh holy places including Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Gurdwara Rori Sahib, Gurdwara Bhai Joga Singh, Gurdwara Bal Lilah, Gurdwara Diwan Kaura Mal, Gurdwara Shahid Ganj Bhai Taru Singh and Gurdwara Kiara Sahib and so on.

Thousands of Sikh pilgrims visit their sacred sites throughout the year for celebration of important religious festivals. International Sikh religious tourism is also backing up Pakistan’s economy significantly.

However, defective and outdated laws and rules regarding pilgrimage visas have created much confusion that may cause a threat to the legal status of international Sikh pilgrims, especially in case of misuse of yatri visa while visiting Pakistan. This aspect is not only affecting the Sikh community living in all corners of the world but also posing a grave threat to international religious tourism in Pakistan. This confusion has been discouraging the international Sikh community and damaging the economy, interfaith harmony, credibility of Pakistan’s institutions and Punjabi solidarity.

Pakistan and India signed a “Protocol of Visits to Religious Shrines” on 14 September 1974 to ensure a smooth visa processing for visiting the religious places in both countries by all religious communities of India and Pakistan. However, the Protocol is too old to meet the challenges and exponential changes of contemporary era, especially regarding misuse of the Pilgrimage as well as conditional visa.

Any violation of a pilgrim visa not only threatens security of Pakistan, but also causes feelings of ill-will between both Punjab communities. This also ramifies in implications of detrimental effects to religious, cultural and lingual harmony. Being a legal counsel in a deportation petition of Mahinder Pall Singh, ex-MPA and Parliamentary Secretary against Sarabjeet Kaur before the Lahore High Court, I am an eyewitness of the misuse of pilgrimage visa, violation of conditional visa as well as of Foreigners Act 1946 and Standing Order No. 29/2005 for individual interests. This violation has created panic and ill-will  in the international Sikh community regarding the case.

Sarabjeet Kaur, an Indian Sikh pilgrim, came with a religious delegation, or jatha, from India by obtaining a limited and non-extendable Pilgrimage Visa for a 10-day trip. Pakistan’s government permitted her to visit only six Gurdwaras, including Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, Sacha Sauda Sahib, Dara Sahib, Rori Sahib, Darbar Sahib (Kartarpur) and Panja Sahib.

The Government of Pakistan must take stern measures to stop possible future violation of “Protocol of Visits to Religious Shrines 1974” and Foreigners Act 1946 by pilgrims of any community on security reasons and to restore trust of international pilgrimages for promotion of religious tourism and interfaith harmony in Pakistan. They must adhere to the domestic laws of Pakistan by not engaging in any activity that is against the conditions and scope of the given visa.

She disappeared from Nankana Sahib on 4 November 2025 and did not join the religious ceremony. Later on, it was disclosed that she had eloped with a Pakistani national named Nasir Hussain and married after converting to Islam. Skipping from the Gurdwara and marrying a resident of Sheikhupura was a severe violation of the visa conditions signed by Pakistan and India. Her visa expired on 14 November 2025 because the Protocol debars any extension of the visa. She has been living in Pakistan since 5 November 2025, and 13 November 2025 illegally, and is likely to be investigated and sent back to India to restore supremacy of law and trust of Sikh community.

Sarbajeet Kaur has a criminal record in India and around four criminal cases against her and eight against her sons stood registered in Indian Punjab. Despite the criminal record, the Indian law enforcement agencies gave her security clearance during the visa process, which makes the matter more suspicious especially in the case of Indian-sponsored terroristic activities in Pakistan.

Neither can religion be used as a tool to fulfill nefarious designs nor visa relaxation be awarded as given by Pakistan. The visa can be used only for the purposes of congregational rites, not for the purpose of purported marriage or other unlawful conduct. Limited and conditional visa for pilgrimage has been misused or exploited by Sarabjeet Kaur for hidden ulterior and unlawful motives, that is  a grave violation of the Foreigners Act 1946 and Standing Order No. 29/2005. The Federal Investigation Agency, following its obligations under Standing Order No. 29/2005, nor the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee being direct custodian and manager of Sikh pilgrims and Punjab Police did not take even a single step regarding this illegality, which should have been to register an FIR and deport the offender.

The Government of Pakistan must take stern measures to stop possible future violation of “Protocol of Visits to Religious Shrines 1974” and Foreigners Act 1946 by pilgrims of any community on security reasons and to restore trust of international pilgrimages for promotion of religious tourism and interfaith harmony in Pakistan. They must adhere to the domestic laws of Pakistan by not engaging in any activity that is against the conditions and scope of the given visa.