Punjab Newsline | Amritsar
In a setback for Sikh devotees, Pakistan has refused to allow a Palki Sahib (ceremonial palanquin) to cross the Attari-Wagah border from India. The sacred palanquin was intended to be taken to a gurdwara in Jacobabad, Pakistan.
Interestingly, the 49 Sikh devotees who were attempting to take the Palki Sahib to Pakistan were Pakistani nationals. They had returned to their home country on Saturday after completing a month-long religious pilgrimage in India.
The Indian government had permitted the devotees to travel back to Pakistan by road due to difficulties faced in arranging air travel.
However, when they reached the Attari-Wagah border, Pakistani authorities made them wait for nearly seven hours, citing strained bilateral relations. After the prolonged wait, the authorities refused to grant permission for the Palki Sahib to cross the international border.
Following the refusal, the truck carrying the sacred palanquin was forced to turn back and return to India.
The decision has left the devotees disappointed, as the Palki Sahib could not be delivered to its intended destination, a gurdwara in Jacobabad.
