Sikh Jatha at Faisalabad Airport Over Missing ETPB NOC
Pakistan stops Sikh pilgrims bound for Hemkund Sahib at Faisalabad airport
Religious travel governed by 1974 Protocol, not private arrangement — Arora
Ali Imran Chattha
FAISALABAD — Pakistani immigration authorities stopped a 92-member Sikh pilgrim group at Faisalabad International Airport from travelling onward to India for the Sri Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage, after officials found the group lacked mandatory clearance from the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) President Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora told Nazrana Times.
No NOC, no tour operator, no return ticket
Arora said the group was travelling on one-way tickets, outside any registered tour and travel operator, and without an ETPB-issued No Objection Certificate (NOC) — the clearance required for Pakistani Sikhs undertaking pilgrimage abroad. He said immigration officials also raised concerns over whether the travellers had return arrangements to Pakistan.
"Religious pilgrimage cannot simply be arranged privately without completing the required government procedures," Arora said.
He further alleged the sponsor letters the group submitted were not properly authenticated and had been arranged privately rather than through the recognised institutional channel — allegations Nazrana Times could not independently verify.
Pilgrims say they had valid Indian visas
The group has offered a different account. According to The Times of India, jatha leader Papinder Singh said all 92 members held valid Indian visas and were routed via Sharjah to Delhi, ahead of stops at Amritsar, Sri Anandpur Sahib and Sri Hemkund Sahib. The pilgrims said they had already spent close to Rs2 crore on the trip and missed their scheduled flight when stopped.
The group had sought the more direct Wagah-Attari land route, which was not available to them for this journey, pushing them toward the costlier third-country itinerary via the UAE. Former Indian Rajya Sabha member and Padma Bhushan awardee Tarlochan Singh has separately urged Islamabad to ease restrictions on Pakistani Sikh pilgrims using the Wagah-Attari crossing.
The legal framework
Cross-border shrine visits between Pakistan and India are governed by the 1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, which lists designated shrines in both countries open to pilgrims under bilateral arrangement. India's Ministry of External Affairs lists five shrines on its side; Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs, through its Ziarat Section, arranges reciprocal visits by Pakistani Muslims to shrines including Ajmer Sharif and Delhi.
The Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950 is a separate agreement concerned with minority rights protection in both countries and is not the instrument governing shrine visitation — a distinction Arora's office was careful to draw.
ETPB's Shrines Branch, working alongside PSGPC, handles the Pakistani side of Sikh and Hindu pilgrim facilitation — security, accommodation, transport and langar arrangements — most recently for the June 2026 Indian jatha marking Guru Arjan Dev Ji's martyrdom anniversary and Maharaja Ranjit Singh's death anniversary.
Names of pilgrims in the group
The following names were provided in connection with the jatha stopped at Faisalabad airport: Himat Kour, Jaginder Singh, Saran Singh, Jaspal Kour, Jaswant Singh, Mahindar Singh, Sarjeet Kour, Jasbeer Kour, Mehat Kour, Misar Kour, Satbir Singh, Taranjeet Singh, Partab Kour, Sawindar Kour, Jagjeet Kaur, Bhawan Raj Singh, Harnaik Singh, Papinder Singh, Manmeet Singh, Neringen Singh, Saranjeet Kour, Giyan Singh, Sarbat Singh, Minderpal Kour, Aimanpreet Kaur, Tarsaim Kour, Mehak Preet Kour, Ravail Kour, Karan Veer Singh, Kartaar Kour, Har Bajan Singh, Jatendar Singh, Santok Singh, Sujan Singh, Inder Kour, Mahindarpal Singh, Mankaran Singh, Khan Singh, Mehandar Kour, Mehtab Kour, Saroop Kour, Prab Leen Kour, Kirat Kour (infant), Sawinder Singh, Satwand Kour, Mhander Singh, Amer Jeet Singh, Sardeep Singh, Jeevan Raj Singh, Kirn Raj Singh, Jasbeer Singh, Arshmeen Kaur, Gormeet Singh, Gor Mantar Kour, Anoop Kour, Kanwal Preet Singh, Balbeer Singh, Harjeet Singh, Jan Kour, Jatinder Kour, Manveer Singh, Gagan Deep Singh, Dasmeet Kour, Satwant Kour, Ranjeet Singh, Jaspreet Kour, Japnam Singh (child) and Chander Kour.
The names above are reproduced from the list supplied to Nazrana Times; individual spellings and the precise status of each traveller should be confirmed against official immigration or travel records before publication.
Case remains unresolved
As of Friday, there was no indication the group had been cleared to travel. The dispute over the NOC, return documentation and sponsorship paperwork remains unresolved, with the pilgrims still seeking permission to continue their journey.
Report by Ali Imran ji