Harjindarpal Singh, a devotee from Hoshiarpur, experienced profound relief on October 31, 2025, upon receiving his Pakistani visa after months of preparation for a pilgrimage to Sikh shrines, including Nankana Sahib. The 50-year-old, whose journey was abruptly cancelled in September due to security concerns, described the trip as a vital spiritual calling. He is among 2,100 pilgrims—1,796 from Punjab and others from Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Jammu, and Uttar Pradesh—who collected visas from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) in Amritsar. These groups will depart via Wagah border on November 4 and return on November 13 to commemorate Guru Nanak's birth anniversary, marking the first such travel since Operation Sindoor.

SGPC Secretary Partap Singh expressed gratitude to both Indian and Pakistani governments for streamlining visa issuance, enabling the Jathas to proceed smoothly. The reversal comes weeks after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) suspended arrangements on September 12, citing the prevailing security scenario with Pakistan. Punjab government and SGPC leaders had urged reconsideration, and sources confirm the notice was quietly rescinded in early October. This decision allows the pilgrims to visit key sites at Guru Nanak's birthplace, restoring a tradition tied to the Prakash Purb celebrations observed annually in November.

Confusion lingers within the central government over accountability for the initial ban and subsequent u-turn. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials attribute the clearance to MHA, while MHA points to state recommendations and final MEA approval. Both ministries remained silent on whether Pakistan's security has improved sufficiently or the precise rationale for the change. The 1974 Protocol on religious exchanges, which facilitates annual visits by Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims, underpins these pilgrimages, yet broader travel suspensions persist amid ongoing tensions.

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The Kartarpur Sahib corridor, jointly inaugurated in 2020 to ease access to the sacred gurdwara, remains closed per MHA directives due to security concerns, forcing pilgrims to take a longer road route despite Pakistan's assurances. Pilgrims will thus travel extended distances to reach the shrine. This partial reopening raises questions about resuming other religious exchanges halted since the May 2025 Pahalgam attacks and subsequent India-Pakistan conflict.

All Pakistani visas were revoked by India on April 24, 2025, following the attacks, with suspensions continuing for medical, business, and family visits—a measure reciprocated by Pakistan. No requests have been received for additional religious groups, leaving uncertainty over full protocol restoration. While this visa approval brings joy to Sikh devotees, it highlights persistent bilateral strains, as non-religious travel remains blocked, potentially affecting thousands annually under the 1974 agreement.

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