India-Pakistan travel ban causes complications for Sikh pilgrims
Posted September 25, 2025 7:33 pm.
Last Updated September 27, 2025 11:28 am.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article has been updated to include additional information and context about the diplomatic row between India and Pakistan and to clarify that the 2025 Asia Cup is being held in the United Arab Emirates.
Gian Singh Gill regularly leads Sikh groups from British Columbia to Pakistan for the annual pilgrimage to Sikh shrines.
He is worried that a recent travel ban in India on pilgrimage to Pakistan will have an impact even on those already here in Canada.
India’s Ministry of Home Affairs indefinitely suspended the approval of border crossings into Pakistan for the pilgrim groups earlier this month, citing security concerns.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!Tensions between India and Pakistan have remained high this year, even after the de-escalation of military conflict between the two countries in May.
Indian and Pakistani forces engaged in dogfights and exchanged missile strikes in the fallout of a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, where 26 Indian tourists were killed.
Sikh groups in Canada say they’re concerned to hear the ongoing tensions will now impact their yearly pilgrimages.
“Many Canadian Sikhs used to first visit their families in India and then cross the border with Indian groups to visit gurdwaras in Pakistan. But this time, they are forced to stay in places like Dubai or Turkey before entering Pakistan, which has become a major challenge,” Gill said in an interview with OMNI News.
“Such pilgrimages are a time when Sikhs from across the world gather and meet. But this year, devotees from India and abroad won’t be able to connect in Pakistan.”
Many sacred Sikh shrines remained in Pakistan after the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, but cross-border agreements have allowed Sikh devotees from India and around the world to travel to Pakistan and visit these gurdwaras.
Another Canadian pilgrim, Bhai Gurcharan Singh, also expressed disappointment, saying, “Many people will miss out on this spiritual journey, and the government’s decision will especially affect ordinary pilgrims.”
Giani Harmitter Singh, a regular pilgrim to Pakistan, says that while his family has received visas for Pakistan, they won’t be able to go because of the Indian government’s decision. He questioned the move, saying, “If cricket matches between India and Pakistan can happen, why not religious pilgrimages?”
The Indian and Pakistani national cricket teams have faced off several times recently in the run-up to the 2025 Asia Cup, run through the International Cricket Council. The tournament is being held in the United Arab Emirates.
In India, the Sikh pilgrim groups are usually led by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the body elected for the management of gurdwara and Sikh religious affairs.
The SGPC, the Punjab government, and several other organizations have criticized the Indian government’s decision and have written letters to India’s Home Ministry, requesting a reversal.
Sikh devotees visit Pakistan every year for major religious events like Vaisakhi, the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary, and the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Most Sikh devotees from across the world enter Pakistan via India.
