Urs of Moinuddin Chishti: India denies visas to Pakistanis

PHOTO: FILE

Reporting by Tariq Mehmood

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has expressed dismay at India’s refusal to grant visa to more than 500 Pakistani pilgrims seeking to take part in the Urs of a Sufi saint.

The 10-day Urs rituals at Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti bega on March 19.

“Pakistan notes with deep disappointment the non-issuance of visas by India for the visit of the 503 Pakistani Zaireen to participate in the Urs of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti (RA) at Ajmer Sharif, India from 19-29 March 2018,” said a statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Monday.

The visit was to take place under the 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines and is a regular annual feature.

“As a result of this Indian decision, the Pakistani pilgrims have been deprived of the opportunity to participate in the Urs, which is of special significance,” it said.

According to the statement, 192 Pakistani pilgrims could not participate in the Urs of Hazrat Khawaja NizamuddinAulia (RA) in Delhi from 1-8 January 2018, due to the non-issuance of visas by India.

During 2017, despite Pakistan’s offer to send a special train, Indian delays had resulted in Sikh yatrees (pilgrims) from India being unable to participate in the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev and the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Similarly, in February 2018, Pakistan had made all the arrangements for the visit of 173 Katas Raj Pilgrims, who, regrettably, were forced to withdraw their applications from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi due to non-issuance of necessary clearance by the Ministry of External Affairs of India.

Besides being violative of the bilateral Protocol of 1974 and the basic human right to religious freedom, such measures also undermine the efforts aimed at improving the environment, increasing people-to-people contacts and normalizing relations between the two countries.

It is again ironic that this was done on the occasion of Urs of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti (RA) who has for centuries beenthe symbol of bringing communities closer to each other.