Indian Sikh pilgrims leave Pakistan after Baisakhi visit

Pakistan is concluding one of its most visible religious tourism events of the season, with Indian Sikh pilgrims set to return home through the Wagah border after completing a week-long Baisakhi visit marked by worship, cultural activities and official outreach. The departure follows several days of movement across key religious and historical sites, as Pakistani authorities sought to present the trip as both a spiritual journey for pilgrims and a message of hospitality to the wider Sikh community.

According to Dawn, around 2,238 Sikh pilgrims arrived in Pakistan on April 10 to take part in Baisakhi-related events, while roughly 2,800 visas had been issued for the visit. About 600 visa holders were unable to make the trip, but the delegation that did arrive took part in a packed programme that combined religious observance with official receptions and cultural engagement. Their return now closes a visit that drew attention not only because of its scale, but also because of the symbolism attached to Sikh access to sacred sites in Pakistan.

The final phase of the visit included a cultural night hosted by the Punjab government at Hazuri Bagh in Lahore, along with a special ceremony at the Dayal Singh Trust Library under the World Centre for Punjabi. Officials described the event as a celebration of shared heritage, and the atmosphere reflected that intention. Traditional music, stage performances and bhangra gave the gathering a festive tone, while the strong turnout and visible participation from visiting pilgrims turned the evening into a high-profile public send-off.

Officials used the occasion to frame the visit in broader terms. Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman Qamaruz Zaman said the event represented interfaith harmony, hospitality and Pakistan’s continuing relationship with Sikh pilgrims from abroad. He said the country remained committed to facilitating visitors and preserving the significance of their journey. Shrines Additional Secretary Nasir Mushtaq also stressed the deep historical connection of Sikhism with the land that is now Pakistan, while Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora said many visitors had left with a more positive impression than they had expected before arrival.

Beyond ceremonial remarks, the visit carried a strong religious dimension. During their stay, pilgrims performed rites at Gurdwara Sri Dera Sahib and offered collective prayers for peace, interfaith understanding and improved relations between Pakistan and India. That aspect gave the trip significance beyond tourism alone. In a region where political tensions often dominate headlines, such gatherings create one of the few spaces where faith, heritage and people-to-people contact can still move ahead even when formal diplomacy remains fragile.

The Lahore leg of the visit also highlighted how Pakistan is trying to widen the experience for religious tourists beyond shrine visits. Dawn reported that pilgrims toured the Lahore Fort, explored the Walled City and travelled through parts of Lahore on double-decker tourist buses, while also visiting commercial landmarks such as Anarkali Bazaar and Shah Alam Market. These activities turned the trip into a broader showcase of urban culture and helped present Lahore as not only a stop on a religious route, but also a city linked to memory, history and shared Punjabi identity.

The background to such visits is especially important. Pakistan is home to some of Sikhism’s most revered sites, and Baisakhi season consistently becomes a sensitive test of how well the state can combine security, facilitation and symbolic outreach. Each successful visit strengthens Pakistan’s standing among Sikh communities abroad and supports its effort to project itself as a guardian of minority religious heritage. At the same time, any disruption, complaint or administrative lapse can quickly undercut that message and feed cross-border mistrust.

This year’s visit appears to have ended on a largely positive note, with pilgrims publicly expressing satisfaction over facilities and acknowledging the hospitality extended to them. The comments reported by Dawn, including praise for the upkeep and security of gurdwaras, are likely to be used by Pakistani officials to reinforce their narrative that religious tourism can serve as a bridge even in difficult political times. For provincial authorities in Punjab, the visit also offered an opportunity to connect cultural management, faith tourism and public diplomacy in a single event.

The longer-term importance of the pilgrimage may lie in what follows after the final buses cross Wagah. If future visits continue to be organised smoothly, Pakistan could further deepen its role as a destination for Sikh religious travel while using such exchanges to sustain limited but meaningful contact with communities across the border. For now, the return of the pilgrims closes a week that combined devotion, culture and politics, and leaves behind a familiar question for the region: whether shared heritage can keep opening doors that formal diplomacy too often leaves shut.