The Indian government’s recent decision to ban Sikh pilgrims from visiting Pakistan for Guru Nanak Dev’s birth anniversary has sparked widespread condemnation across Punjab, with political leaders, religious organizations, and the Sikh community questioning what they perceive as glaring double standards in India’s Pakistan policy.
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On September 12, 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an advisory to Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi, stating it would not be possible to send Sikh pilgrimage groups to Pakistan for the upcoming Prakash Purb celebrations in November, citing security concerns. This decision has drawn sharp criticism, particularly in light of the recent India-Pakistan cricket match in the Asia Cup 2025, which took place just days after the advisory was issued.
The Cricket Controversy: Playing Games While Blocking Faith
The timing of the ban has proven particularly controversial. On September 21, 2025, just nine days after the pilgrimage ban was announced, India and Pakistan faced each other in the Asia Cup 2025 Super Four match in Dubai, with India winning by six wickets. The juxtaposition of allowing cricket ties while restricting religious pilgrimages has become the focal point of criticism.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann strongly condemned the Home Ministry’s advisory, accusing the central government of maintaining “double standards”. Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Mann questioned, “If cricket matches can be played with Pakistan, why are Sikh devotees being prevented from visiting Kartarpur Sahib and Nankana Sahib?”.
The Chief Minister emphasized that Kartarpur and Nankana Sahib are sacred centers of faith, not platforms for cricket or business, stating emphatically, “Politics and cricket can wait, but devotion cannot”. Mann further argued that money generated from cricket matches would eventually fuel terror and drugs, highlighting what he sees as misplaced priorities.
Historical Context and Legal Framework
The controversy must be understood within the historical framework of India-Pakistan religious exchanges. The Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950 established a bilateral agreement allowing Sikh pilgrims to visit religious shrines in Pakistan on four specific occasions each year. These occasions include the foundation day of Khalsa Panth (Baisakhi), the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev, the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
Under this agreement, approximately 3,000 Indian Sikh pilgrims are permitted to visit Pakistan for Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which manages Sikh religious sites in India, had already begun collecting passports from devotees in July 2025 and sending applications to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
Security Concerns and Operation Sindoor
The government’s decision stems from deteriorating India-Pakistan relations following the brutal Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, which killed 26 civilians, including 25 Indian tourists. The attack, carried out by militants who specifically targeted Hindu tourists based on their religious identity, prompted India to launch Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, conducting precision strikes on nine terrorist infrastructure sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Following Operation Sindoor, India suspended the Kartarpur Corridor, which had provided visa-free access for Sikh pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. The corridor, inaugurated in 2019, allowed thousands of Indian Sikhs to visit the shrine where Guru Nanak spent his final 18 years.
Religious and Political Opposition
The ban has drawn condemnation from across the political and religious spectrum. The acting Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, strongly criticized the government’s decision, terming it “unjust and hurtful” to Sikh sentiments. He questioned the rationale, saying, “If India and Pakistan can play cricket with each other, then why can’t Sikh pilgrims be allowed to visit Pakistan?”.
The SGPC expressed “deep regret” over the government’s decision, with Secretary Partap Singh stating, “This move is a deeply disappointing action which has hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community”. The organization emphasized that denying devotees the opportunity to undertake religious pilgrimages on security grounds while allowing sporting exchanges is unjustifiable.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to review the decision, arguing that denying access to Sikh gurdwaras would hurt religious sentiments. He also demanded the reopening of the Kartarpur corridor, particularly given the resumption of sporting ties between the two countries.
International Sikh Community Concerns
The ban has also affected the global Sikh diaspora. Balwinder Singh, a Sikh devotee from Germany, called the MHA notice “deeply disheartening,” stating, “India can play cricket with Pakistan, yet denies Sikhs the opportunity to visit religious shrines across the border to fulfill their spiritual aspirations”. Similarly, Gurminder Randhawa from the UK described the situation as “unfortunate and troubling”.
Pakistani Sikh leaders have also voiced concerns. Mahesh Singh, vice president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, urged New Delhi to lift the ban, arguing that it violates international norms and moral values. Pakistani officials maintain that Sikh and other religious pilgrims from India are welcome to visit shrines in Pakistan under existing arrangements.
The Numbers Game: Visa Applications and Rejections
The impact of the ban extends beyond symbolism to practical consequences for thousands of devotees. The SGPC had received applications from approximately 1,900 pilgrims who submitted documents for the November pilgrimage. Among them was Kanwaljit Kaur Dhillon from Punjab’s Ludhiana district, who questioned, “If the game of cricket between two nations could be allowed, then why restrict us?”.
Historically, large numbers of Indian Sikhs have participated in these pilgrimages. In 2024, over 2,550 Sikh pilgrims from India visited Pakistan for Guru Nanak’s 555th birth anniversary. In 2025, Pakistan had issued a record 7,000 visas for the Baisakhi celebrations, nearly double the agreed quota of 3,000.
Strategic Implications and Contradictions
The controversy highlights broader questions about India’s Pakistan policy consistency. Critics argue that allowing cricket matches while blocking religious pilgrimages sends mixed messages about the government’s priorities. The matches generate significant revenue and maintain sporting ties, while religious pilgrimages are viewed as more dispensable in the face of security concerns.
Professor Amarjit Singh from Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar questioned the selective security logic: “Sikhs from across the world would be visiting Nankana Sahib, so security would not be an issue only for Sikhs from India?”. This observation points to the potentially discriminatory nature of the restrictions.
Pakistan’s Response and Preparations
Despite the Indian ban, Pakistani officials have continued preparations for accommodating Sikh pilgrims. Ghulam Mohiuddin, a Pakistani official, stated that arrangements for lodging and food were being finalized for Sikh pilgrims traveling from India and abroad. He suggested that if New Delhi lifts its ban, a record number of Indian Sikhs could visit Kartarpur this year.
The Kartarpur shrine, located approximately 4.5 kilometers from the India-Pakistan border, holds immense significance as the second-holiest site in Sikhism. Recent flooding had affected the shrine, but Pakistani authorities have worked to restore the site and reopen it for worship.
Looking Forward: Diplomatic and Religious Implications
The current impasse represents more than a bilateral disagreement; it touches on fundamental questions about religious freedom, diplomatic consistency, and the prioritization of various forms of engagement between hostile neighbors. The Sikh community’s frustration reflects a broader sentiment that their religious practices are being sacrificed for political considerations.
As Guru Nanak’s 556th birth anniversary approaches in November 2025, the standoff continues to generate debate about whether security concerns justify restricting religious pilgrimages while allowing commercial and sporting exchanges. The resolution of this issue may well depend on broader developments in India-Pakistan relations and the government’s willingness to separate religious matters from political disputes.
The controversy underscores the complex relationship between security, diplomacy, and religious freedom in South Asia, where political tensions often override centuries-old spiritual traditions and cross-border religious connections that predate the modern nation-state system.
Conclusion
The ongoing dispute over the ban on Sikh pilgrimages to Pakistan has become more than a question of security it has become a litmus test for India’s commitment to religious freedom and consistency in its Pakistan policy. By allowing cricket matches with Pakistan while blocking Sikh devotees from visiting Kartarpur Sahib and Nankana Sahib, the government has invited accusations of double standards and placed itself at odds with both Sikh religious sentiment and the historical framework of bilateral agreements such as the Nehru-Liaquat Pact.
The timing of the ban, coming so soon before Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary, has only deepened the sense of hurt within the Sikh community in India and abroad. The government’s security concerns cannot be dismissed given the Pahalgam attack and the tense climate following Operation Sindoor, but critics argue that religious pilgrimages should be treated differently from political or commercial exchanges. Kartarpur Sahib is not a leisure destination but a sacred site central to Sikh identity, and denying access risks alienating a community that has historically contributed to India’s pluralistic fabric.
This issue also highlights the broader challenge of balancing national security with cultural and religious obligations. If sporting ties and commercial engagements are permitted despite strained relations, then a strong case exists for facilitating controlled, well-monitored pilgrimages rather than imposing a blanket ban. A calibrated approach one that respects security needs while honoring religious commitments could defuse tensions and restore trust.
Ultimately, the controversy reflects a deeper question about what kind of message India wishes to send: one of selective engagement that sidelines faith, or one that upholds its image as a nation where devotion is respected even in difficult times. How the government resolves this matter will shape perceptions of its fairness and inclusivity well beyond Punjab.
Source: Can play cricket but no pilgrimage? AAP slams Centre over Kartarpur restrictions
Centre’s refusal to allow Sikh pilgrimage to Pakistan sparks outrage in Punjab
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