Amritsar, June 17: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Tuesday announced the cancellation of this year’s Sikh pilgrimage to Pakistan for Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary due to escalating diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan.
Speaking to ANI, SGPC official Harbhajan Singh Vakta said the decision follows recent developments including the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor conducted by Indian Armed Forces on May 7.
“We had sent 249 passport applications to Pakistan for the visit scheduled around June 29. However, the SGPC has now officially decided not to send any jatha this time,” Vakta said.
The SGPC sends pilgrim groups annually for religious visits across the border. The trip for Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s barsi (death anniversary) is one such event, typically marked at Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore, where the Sikh emperor passed away on June 27, 1839.
“These 249 passports will be returned to applicants after June 20. Pilgrims can collect them from our travel department,” Vakta added.
In 2023, Pakistan had granted 509 visas for the occasion, with 317 pilgrims from India ultimately crossing the border under SGPC coordination. The annual visit also sees participation from Sikh devotees worldwide and tourists at Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, underscoring the historic and spiritual connection Sikhs share with the region.
Known as ‘Sher-e-Punjab’, Maharaja Ranjit Singh was born in Gujranwala (now in Pakistan) in 1780 and ruled the Sikh Empire for four decades. His reign is celebrated for military strength, administrative reforms, and religious pluralism, with Muslims and Hindus holding key posts in his court.
With the current cross-border tensions and no official word from Pakistan on visa approvals, the SGPC’s decision reflects caution and concern for pilgrim safety.
This is one of the few instances in recent years where the SGPC has formally called off an annual jatha, signaling how geopolitical events are increasingly disrupting religious diplomacy.
