Heartwarming Reception for Sikh Pilgrims at Gurdwara Panja Sahib

A touching display of hospitality by a Punjab Police officer towards Sikh pilgrims at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal has resonated deeply on social media. The officer’s gesture underscores Pakistan’s commitment to interfaith harmony, drawing considerable attention and appreciation.

A widely circulated video captures the officer affectionately embracing an elderly Sikh woman, tenderly addressing her as “mother,” while reciting a moving poem. The emotional moment shows the elderly woman shedding tears in the officer’s arms as fellow pilgrims document the scene.

Online platforms have been flooded with messages of praise for the officer’s empathy. Users lauded the officer’s compassionate conduct and the overarching message of unity and mutual respect conveyed through his actions.

Gurdwara Panja Sahib holds immense significance for Sikhs and is a major destination for religious visitors, especially during festivals and commemorations.

Annually, thousands of Sikh pilgrims journey to Pakistan to observe Baisakhi, an age-old festival marking the start of the wheat harvest, holding deep religious importance for the Sikh community. Baisakhi also commemorates the establishment of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.

Prior to this year’s Baisakhi celebrations, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued over 6,500 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims, enabling visits to sacred sites in Pakistan from April 10 to 19. These sites included Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.

These visits are conducted under the framework of the 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, designed to promote religious harmony and improved relations.

Strained Bilateral Relations

It is important to note that relations between Pakistan and India have deteriorated significantly following the deadly assault in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on April 22. Twenty-six tourists, including a Nepali national, were killed in the Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam.

India promptly accused Pakistan of backing cross-border terrorism following the attack, the deadliest on civilians in Kashmir in nearly 25 years.

Islamabad has refuted any involvement, dismissing India’s accusations as baseless and irrational and asserting that it would respond decisively to any act of aggression.

Subsequently, New Delhi suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, reduced diplomatic ties, revoked visas for Pakistanis, and closed the primary land border crossing with Pakistan.

Islamabad retaliated by expelling Indian diplomats and military advisors, canceling visas for Indian citizens, with the exception of Sikh pilgrims, and closing its side of the main border crossing.

The United Nations (UN) has urged both nations to exercise restraint and resolve disagreements through peaceful dialogue.