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Tag: Sikh pilgrims

  • Pakistan Invited to SCO Summit, Kartarpur Open for Pilgrims

    Pakistan Invited to SCO Summit, Kartarpur Open for Pilgrims

    Pakistan has received an invitation from India to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Heads of Government meeting in New Delhi, the Foreign Office said on Friday, while confirming that the country is ready to welcome Sikh pilgrims through the Kartarpur Corridor.

    Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi shared the details at his weekly press briefing in Islamabad. He said India had invited Pakistan to the SCO meeting, which is scheduled to take place in New Delhi from November 20 to 22, and that Pakistan had received the invitation.

    A decision on whether Pakistan will attend is still pending. According to the spokesperson, the decision will be taken keeping national interest and regional priorities in view, leaving the question open for now while the government weighs its options.

    On the Kartarpur Corridor, the spokesperson said Pakistan is ready to welcome Sikh pilgrims. India has suspended movement through the corridor since May 2025, so the crossing has not been in use for pilgrims travelling from the Indian side.

    Pakistan issued 9,318 visas to Sikh pilgrims in 2025 and 4,000 in the first six months of 2026, according to the Foreign Office. The corridor can handle more than 5,000 pilgrims a day, and preparations are under way for the 557th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, one of the most important occasions in the Sikh calendar.

    The Kartarpur Corridor links the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan with the Indian border, allowing Sikh pilgrims to visit one of their holiest sites without a visa. Its readiness matters to pilgrims hoping to attend the birth anniversary commemorations, and Pakistan’s statement signals that the facilities on its side are prepared to receive them.

    The SCO invitation and the Kartarpur message came in the same briefing, touching two separate strands of Pakistan’s regional engagement. The SCO meeting brings together the heads of government of member states to discuss economic and regional cooperation, while the corridor concerns the religious and people-to-people ties between Pakistan and the Sikh community.

    Separately, the spokesperson said a vessel from the Marshall Islands was attacked near the coast of Yemen in international waters. All 25 people aboard are safe, and a Pakistani ship is carrying out the rescue, according to the Foreign Office.

    Attention will now turn to Pakistan’s decision on the SCO meeting in the days ahead, and to whether movement through the Kartarpur Corridor resumes in time for the Guru Nanak birth anniversary celebrations.

  • Railways runs 3 special trains for 2,200 Sikh pilgrims

    Railways runs 3 special trains for 2,200 Sikh pilgrims

    Pakistan Railways has announced three special trains for the birthday celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak, running between 4 and 8 November, to help pilgrims reach and return from Nankana Sahib.

    According to the announcement, made by Chief Operating Officer Amir Ali Baloch, about 2,200 Sikh pilgrims arrived in Pakistan on Tuesday through Wagah to take part in the celebrations. The special services are intended to make their travel to the holy city and back more straightforward during a busy week of religious observance.

    The planned services include a train from Karachi Cantonment to Nankana Sahib, and a Lahore to Nankana Sahib service on 7 November. A return service from Nankana Sahib to Karachi Cantonment is planned for 8 November, alongside a Nankana Sahib to Attari return service on the same day and a shuttle between Nankana Sahib and Lahore for pilgrims.

    Nankana Sahib holds deep significance for Sikhs as the birthplace of Guru Nanak, and the birthday celebrations draw large numbers of devotees each year. Special trains are a familiar part of the arrangements, because they allow pilgrims travelling from different parts of the country to reach the city together and return home after the main events.

    The arrival of pilgrims through Wagah is itself a well-established feature of the celebrations. Pilgrims cross into Pakistan for the festivities, and railway services form one of the main ways they move onward to Nankana Sahib, where the central gatherings take place.

    For the railway, the week presents both an operational task and a public service. Running extra trains on set dates helps spread the load across services, rather than leaving pilgrims to rely only on regular trains that may already be full during the celebration period.

    The announcement sets out the dates and routes clearly, so that pilgrims and their families can plan their journeys in advance. With the main celebrations falling within the 4 to 8 November window, the services are timed to cover both the arrival and the return journeys.

    As the celebrations continue, the special trains are expected to carry pilgrims to Nankana Sahib and then home again, closing a week in which the city once again becomes the centre of devotion for Sikhs marking the birth of their first Guru.