Islamabad, November 6, 2025: Pakistan has strongly rejected as “misleading” and “baseless” the Indian media reports alleging that members of the Hindu community were denied entry into Pakistan on religious grounds to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji from November 4–13.
In a statement on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said, “Pakistan categorically rejects the unfounded and misleading allegations that members of the Hindu community were denied entry into its territory. These claims are entirely baseless and represent yet another attempt to distort facts and politicise a matter that was purely administrative in nature.”
Providing details, Andrabi explained that the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi issued over 2,400 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to attend the celebrations. Of these, 1,932 pilgrims successfully crossed into Pakistan through the Attari–Wagah border on November 4.
He noted that nearly 300 visa holders were prevented by Indian authorities from crossing the border, adding that the immigration process on the Pakistani side remained “smooth, orderly, and unhindered.”
A small number of individuals, he said, were found to have incomplete documentation or were unable to satisfy immigration queries, and were therefore asked to return to the Indian side in accordance with standard border procedures.
Andrabi dismissed the reports as “completely incorrect and mischievous” for portraying an administrative matter as a religious one.
“Pakistan has always welcomed pilgrims of all faiths to visit its sacred religious sites under a well-established and facilitative framework. The action taken was purely administrative and consistent with Pakistan’s sovereign right to regulate entry into its territory,” he said.
The spokesperson further stated that attempts to give the issue a communal or political colour were “regrettable” and reflected the “prejudiced mindset dominating Indian government and media narratives.”
Earlier this week, Pakistan welcomed dozens of Sikh pilgrims from India in the first major crossing since the deadly May border clashes that temporarily closed the land route between the two countries. More than 2,100 pilgrims were granted visas to participate in the 556th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith.
Following the May conflict — the worst fighting since 1999 — the Wagah–Attari border was closed to general traffic, while the Kartarpur Corridor, the visa-free route opened in 2019, remains closed since the hostilities.
