India has refused to grant visas to more than 500 Pakistani pilgrims to attend an annual urs of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer Sharif
LAHORE, (Pakistan Point News - 04th March, 2019) India has refused to grant visas to more than 500 Pakistani pilgrims to attend an annual urs of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer Sharif. New Delho took this agressive step at a time when Islamabad allowed 3,000 Sikh yatrees to attend Baisakhi festivities in Pakistan. The move is considered a serious blow to peace steps taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan. Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri said on Monday that Indian embassy informed about visa denial on phone.
Pilgrims from Pakistan were due to leave to Ajmair on March 7 to to attend the religious congregation on death anniversary of great Sufi saint. “Hindu fundamentalists have completly hijacked India,” said Qadri, while expressing concerns over depriving Muslims pilgrims from attending a religious event. Pakistan has issued over 6,000 pilgrams visas last years to Sikh and Hindus, he added. Qadri said Indian embassy so far had not returned the passports of Pakistanis. He said only 190 pligrims out of 400 were issued visas to attend urs of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia in Delhi.
