LAHORE: Pakistan has issued visas to 2,800 Sikh pilgrims from India for the Baisakhi festival, which will begin from April 10 (Friday).

Baisakhi, or Vaisakhi, is celebrated on the first day of the month of Vaisakh and also marks the beginning of the harvest season.

“On the occasion of Baisakhi and the 327th Khalsa Janamdin celebrations, Pakistan has issued more than 2,800 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India,” the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) said.

According to an official statement, a meeting was also held at the Punjab Home Department to finalise security and hospitality arrangements for the pilgrims arriving from India and other parts of the world.

The meeting was chaired by Home Department Secretary Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi and Punjab Health Minister and Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order Khawaja Salman Rafique.

During the meeting, it was informed that over 2,800 Sikhs from India had been issued visas by the Pakistan High Commission for Baisakhi celebrations and they were scheduled to arrive in Lahore via Wagah Border on April 10.

The festival will run from April 10 to 19, with over 26,000 pilgrims expected from around the world. The main ceremony will be held on April 14 at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal.

Rafique emphasised that the security of Sikh pilgrims was the government’s top priority, directing all district authorities to ensure comprehensive security and the provision of all necessary facilities, the statement added.

ETPB Additional Secretary (Shrines) Nasir Mushtaq told the meeting that all arrangements had been finalised; these included comfortable accommodation in marquees, quality bedding, clean drinking water, air conditioning, and proper washroom facilities at the gurdwaras and residential sites.

He said foolproof security arrangements would be in place at all religious sites and surrounding areas, supported by intelligence-based operations, strict monitoring, CCTV cameras, and temporary security installations.

He added that WhatsApp groups had also been created among administrative officers to ensure seamless coordination.

The Indian government had stopped its citizens from going to Pakistan following armed conflict between the two rival countries in May last year. However, last November, on the protest of the Sikh community, the Modi administration had allowed them to visit their holy places in Pakistan on different religious occasions.

However, the Kartarpur Corridor, which allows visa-free access to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, still remains closed following the May 2025 conflict. India cites security concerns, while Pakistan has kept it open from its side, asking the former to follow suit.