India protests as envoy denied access to pilgrims

NEWDELHI/ISLAMABAD: India lodged a strong protest with Pakistan on Saturday after its envoy and other officials in Islamabad were barred from meeting Indian pilgrims at Gurdwara Panja Sahib, the second such incident in a little more than two months.

Indian high commissioner Ajay Bisaria and consular officials were denied entry to the gurdwara at Hasan Abdal, 65 km from Islamabad, even though they had been granted travel permission by Pakistan’s foreign ministry, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

The envoy and other officials had gone to Hasan Abdal to meet some 300 Indian pilgrims who are in Pakistan to participate in ceremonies being held during June 21-30 to mark the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

The pilgrims reached Lahore on a special Pakistan Railways train on Thursday.

Pakistan’s deputy high commissioner was summoned to the external affairs ministry, MEA statement said.

A “strong protest was lodged at the denial of access to the Indian high commissioner and consular officials… to visit Gurdwara Panja Sahib and meet the Indian pilgrims”, the statement said.

India expressed its concerns at “repeated attempts by entities in Pakistan to extend support to secessionist movements in India and incite the Indian pilgrims”, the statement said. Pakistani authorities were “asked to ensure that no such activity is carried out from Pakistan soil”, it added.

A strong protest was also registered by the Indian high commission in Islamabad.

Reports in the Pakistani media suggested the Indian envoy and other officials were not allowed to enter the gurdwara by local authorities who feared there could be an altercation with Sikh pilgrims from other parts of the world who were angered by the Indian Supreme Court’s order clearing the release of Nanak Shah Fakir, a controversial movie on Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh religion. However, Indian officials dismissed these reports and said the envoy had been granted permission to meet the Indian pilgrims. This was the second time Pakistan had barred Bisaria from meeting visiting Indian pilgrims at Gurdwara Panja Sahib. On April 14, Bisaria was on his way to the gurdwara to meet Indian pilgrims visiting on the occasion of Baisakhi, when he was suddenly asked by Pakistani authorities to return to Islamabad for unspecified “security” reasons. Bisaria had been invited by the chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).