September 12, 2026
By Aitzaz Ibrahim
A group of more than 90 Pakistani Sikh pilgrims travelling to India for a religious pilgrimage were stopped at Faisalabad International Airport on Friday night after immigration authorities raised objections over missing travel documents, including a no-objection certificate (NOC) and return tickets.
The pilgrims had arrived at the airport to board a Gulf-bound flight and planned to travel onward to India, as direct air travel between Pakistan and India remains suspended.
The group intended to visit Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib in the Indian state of Uttarakhand to perform religious rituals.The incident drew attention after videos of the stranded pilgrims began circulating on social media, with members of the group appealing to Pakistani authorities to facilitate their journey.
Satwant Kaur, general secretary of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), told Voicepk that Sikh pilgrims travelling between Pakistan and India are required to obtain an NOC from the committee.She said the requirement applied to Sikh pilgrims travelling in either direction through the Wagah border and that the group stopped at Faisalabad airport had neither obtained the required clearance nor informed the PSGPC or the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) about their planned journey.
According to Kaur, the pilgrims also did not possess return tickets, which became another issue with their travel documentation.She maintained that the incident resulted from a lack of awareness about the required procedure rather than any mistreatment of the pilgrims by the state.
“This entire matter is due to a lack of awareness and should not in any way be viewed as mistreatment by the state,” Kaur told Voicepk.
She said the Pakistani government had consistently facilitated Sikh pilgrims and provided assistance to them during religious journeys. Kaur expressed confidence that the issue could be resolved once the pilgrims completed the required documentation.
“The Pakistani government has always respected Sikh pilgrims and helped facilitate their pilgrimages. This matter will be resolved once the documentation is corrected,” she added.
Pilgrims dispute claim over NOC
However, members of the affected group have disputed the assertion that they made no attempt to secure the required clearance.
In a video circulating on social media, pilgrims claimed that they had approached Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs and PSGPC President Ramesh Singh Arora as well as the ETPB in an attempt to obtain an NOC before travelling.According to the pilgrims’ account in the video, they initially sought permission to travel through the Wagah border but were not issued the required NOC despite applying for it.
They further alleged that they were subsequently advised to travel by air. The pilgrims said they then obtained Indian visas and purchased air tickets, only to be stopped by immigration officials when they reached Faisalabad airport for their flight.
“We are more than 90 Sikh pilgrims who want to go to perform our religious rituals,” one of the pilgrims said in the video while describing the group’s situation.The pilgrims maintained that they had made efforts to seek the necessary assistance before arranging their journey and expressed frustration at being prevented from travelling after obtaining visas and purchasing tickets.
Ramesh Singh Arora’s office denies being approached
The claim that the pilgrims had contacted the relevant authorities for an NOC was denied by the office of Ramesh Singh Arora, who serves as Punjab’s minister for minority affairs and president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
Ali Butt, personal assistant to Arora, told Voicepk that neither the minister’s office nor the relevant authorities had been approached by any member of the group seeking an NOC or assistance for the journey.
“No pilgrim contacted us for an NOC or sought assistance regarding this journey,” Butt said.
He said immigration authorities at the airport had acted according to their existing policy and maintained that passengers could not be permitted to travel internationally without completing the necessary documentation.
“The airport authorities acted according to their policy. How can anyone be allowed to travel without complete documents?” he said.
The pilgrims were travelling to Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib, a major Sikh pilgrimage site located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The shrine is associated with Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, and attracts Sikh pilgrims for religious visits.