New Delhi: The Pakistan High Commission on Wednesday said it issued 84 visas to Indian pilgrims to visit the Shree Katas Raj temples in Punjab province’s Chakwal district. The group has been given visas to visit the Katas Raj temples from December 19 to 25. The temples are also known as Qila Katas. It is a complex of several Hindu temples connected to one another by walkways.
Under the provision of a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan every year. Pakistani pilgrims also visit India every year under the protocol. “The Pakistan high commission in New Delhi has issued 84 visas to a group of Indian pilgrims for their visit to the sacred Shree Katas Raj Temples in Chakwal district of Punjab,” the Pakistani mission said.
Last year, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued 112 visas to Indian Hindu pilgrims to visit Shree Katas Raj Temples. Katas Raj is considered one of the holiest places for the Hindu community in Pakistan. The temples form a complex surrounding a pond named Katas — which is regarded as sacred by the devotees.
Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires Saad Ahmad Warraich wished the pilgrims a “spiritually rewarding” and a “fulfilling” journey. “Under the Pakistan-India protocol on visits to religious shrines of 1974, each year thousands of Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan to attend various religious festivals/occasions,” the Pakistan High Commission said.
“The issuance of pilgrimage visas is in line with the policy of the government of Pakistan to facilitate visits to religious shrines and promote interfaith harmony,” it said in a statement.
India, Pakistan extend Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Agreement
India and Pakistan agreed to extend the validity of the Agreement on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for a further period of five years. The Agreement, signed on 24 October 2019 to facilitate the visit of pilgrims from India to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Narowal, Pakistan through the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, was valid for a period of five years.
According to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the extension of the validity of this Agreement will ensure uninterrupted operation of the Corridor for use by pilgrims from India to visit the holy Gurdwara in Pakistan.
In view of the continued requests of pilgrims regarding the removal of the USD 20 service charge levied by Pakistan per pilgrim per visit, India has once again urged Pakistan to not levy any fee or charges on the pilgrims, it said.
Notably, the major diplomatic solution came nearly a week after EAM S Jaishankar visited Islamabad where he attended the Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) meeting.
(With inputs from agency)