A delegation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) met with Pakistan High Commissioner Saad Ahmed Waraich in Delhi today. During this meeting, they requested the issuance of visas according to the list sent by the Shiromani Committee for Sikh pilgrims visiting historical gurdwaras in Pakistan and to send a Sikh jatha according to the Nanakshahi calendar on the martyrdom day of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji. The SGPC delegation included Chief Secretary and member Sardar Kulwant Singh Mannan, member Bhai Rajinder Singh Mehta, Secretary Sardar Pratap Singh, and Meet Secretary Sardar Jaswinder Singh Jassi. Delegation members Sardar Kulwant Singh Mannan and Bhai Rajinder Singh Mehta stated that for some time now, a large number of names from the list of Sikh pilgrims sent by the Shiromani Committee have been removed by Pakistan. In this regard, they met with the Pakistan High Commissioner to appeal for simplifying the visa process and respecting the sentiments of the pilgrims. The delegation stated that the Shiromani Committee sends groups every year to visit the historical gurdwaras located in Pakistan on the occasions of Khalsa Sajna Diwas (Baisakhi), the martyrdom day of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the Prakash Parv of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. For this, the state of Punjab is allocated a visa quota of 1800, 600, 300, and 1800 respectively. Demand to send a group on Martyrdom Day The delegation said that this year, the martyrdom day of Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji is being celebrated by the Shiromani Committee and the Sikh community on May 30, 2025 (Jyeshtha Sudi 4) according to the Nanakshahi calendar. They demanded that visas be issued to Indian Sikh pilgrims for this day. The delegation informed the Pakistani High Commissioner that since 2012, the jatha could not be sent according to the Nanakshahi calendar approved by the Shiromani Committee, as the Pakistan High Commission refuses to issue visas due to differences in dates. This hurts the religious sentiments of Indian Sikh pilgrims. Appeal to respect the sentiments of the pilgrims The delegation urged the Pakistani High Commissioner to issue visas to the maximum number of pilgrims according to the list sent by the Shiromani Committee, keeping in mind the religious sentiments of Sikh pilgrims and their devotion to historical Gurdwaras. The delegation also said that visiting these historic Gurdwaras is extremely important for the Sikh community, and simplifying and making the visa process transparent will help strengthen cultural and religious ties between the two countries.Original Article