Over 100 Pak Sikh pilgrims en route to India stopped at Faisalabad airport
Pakistani Sikh pilgrims halted at Faisalabad airport before India-bound journey
Bharatmorningnews.com – A group of 104 Pakistani Sikh pilgrims was prevented from boarding a Dubai-bound flight at Faisalabad International Airport while attempting to travel onward to India for visits to historic gurdwaras, including Gurdwara Hemkunt Sahib in Uttarakhand.
Each traveller held a valid Indian visa, and the group had planned to reach New Delhi through Dubai. With no direct air, rail or road connection currently operating between Pakistan and India, the pilgrims had selected an indirect international route that was significantly more expensive than a land crossing.
Faisalabad International Airport is about 150 kilometres from Lahore. The disruption left Sikh families waiting at the terminal after immigration officials raised additional travel requirements shortly before departure.
Return ticket and clearance document requested
An official from Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency said the pilgrims were not allowed to board because they did not have return tickets or a no-objection certificate from the federal government. Immigration authorities told the delegation that it could continue its journey after presenting both documents.
“The immigration officials told them to produce an NOC from the federal government and the return ticket, after which they would be allowed to proceed to their destination.”
The official spoke without being identified. The last-minute demand created uncertainty for people who had already arranged visas, flight plans and preparations for a religious visit across the border.
A separate federal government official said the pilgrims had obtained their Indian visas independently. He said they should have coordinated travel plans with the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee and used the Wagah border route for entry into India. He also indicated that the group might still be permitted to undertake the pilgrimage through Wagah.
Closed links have complicated religious travel
The usual options for travel between the two countries have been sharply limited. Direct air, rail and road links remain unavailable following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor in 2025. The suspension of land and rail services has affected travellers who would ordinarily rely on the Wagah-Attari crossing for cross-border journeys.
For Sikh pilgrims, the closure is particularly consequential because important sites connected with Sikh history and worship are located on both sides of the border. A route through a third country can involve higher ticket costs, longer transit times and additional documentation requirements.
The episode also highlights the practical difference between receiving a destination-country visa and completing all departure formalities. A visa permits entry under the issuing country’s rules, while travellers may still be required to meet exit, airline and transit conditions before leaving their country of departure.
Video shows families waiting at airport
Video footage circulating online showed members of the delegation stranded inside Faisalabad airport. In the recording, one Sikh traveller appealed for help after the group had been waiting for several hours.
“For the last four hours we are languishing at the Faisalabad airport...someone should take notice of this and help the pilgrims proceed to their destination.”
Other Sikh families could be seen waiting nearby. One young member of the group said the travellers were not criminals who should be required to obtain an NOC. He said he was employed by the Pakistani government.
The frustration reflected the pressure faced by pilgrims whose journeys are often planned well in advance. Religious travel can involve fixed departure dates, group itineraries, accommodation arrangements and visits timed around a particular period of worship. A hold at the airport can put the entire schedule at risk even if the underlying visas remain valid.
SGPC calls for immediate intervention
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee condemned the decision to stop the travellers. Its president, Harjinder Singh Dhami, said the pilgrims had secured official permission to enter India and were travelling to visit major Sikh shrines.
“The pilgrims were travelling to visit historic Sikh shrines across India after securing official entry visas from the Indian government. The last-minute disruption is highly unfortunate and deeply damaging to religious sentiments.”
Dhami said unexpected clearance requirements at the airport had caused serious distress to people who had spent months preparing for their spiritual journey. He called on the Pakistani government to step in and allow the delegation to depart.
He suggested the Attari-Wagah land border as an alternative if air transit could not be arranged. Dhami also appealed to New Delhi and Islamabad to take a flexible, humanitarian view of religious travel, arguing that administrative and diplomatic barriers should not obstruct worship.
Political leaders seek clarity for travellers
Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) general secretary Gurpartap Singh Wadala and youth wing head Gurjit Singh Talwandi also voiced concern over the alleged refusal to let the pilgrims board despite their valid Indian visas.
In a joint statement, the leaders said any NOC requirement should have been communicated before the travellers reached the airport. They urged the relevant authorities to clearly explain the rule and ensure that Sikh pilgrims are not exposed to avoidable hardship during religious travel.
The immediate question remains whether the delegation will receive the requested clearance and be able to proceed through Dubai or be redirected to the Attari-Wagah route. For the 104 pilgrims, the issue is not simply a delayed flight but access to a long-planned visit to places of deep religious importance.
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