New Delhi: A special 'jatha' of around 500 Sikh pilgrims crossed over to Pakistan for Nankana Sahib on Tuesday to begin celebrations of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev from his birthplace on August 1.
The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued visas to the pilgrims who are partaking in the special 'jatha'.
In a statement the high commission said, "These visas have been granted over and above the issuance of thousands of visas every year under the framework of Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974."
The statement added, "Government of Pakistan also believes in the policy of promoting visits to religious shrines and people-to-people contacts between Pakistan and India."
On July 14, New Delhi and Islamabad had held the second round of bilateral talks to narrow down their differences on the corridor for travel of Sikh pilgrims from Dera Baba Nanak Sahib in Punjab to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan.
Once opened, the 3 km corridor will allow Sikh pilgrims direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak Dev passed away in 1539. The route is expected to be completed by September-end.
Read also: 77 injured in Hong Kong bus mishap
