CHANDIGARH, India — A Sikh woman from Punjab has gone missing in Pakistan after traveling as part of a large group of pilgrims who crossed the Attari border on November 4 to celebrate the Parkash Purab, the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
The missing pilgrim, identified as Sarabjit Kaur of Kapurthala district, was among 1,923 devotees who traveled to Pakistan under a bilateral agreement that allows religious groups to visit historic shrines. The jatha was led by Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj of the Akal Takht Sahib.
After a 10-day pilgrimage to various gurdwaras, 1,922 pilgrims returned to India on Thursday evening. Immigration authorities discovered that Sarabjit Kaur was missing, with no record of her exit from Pakistan or re-entry into India.
Intelligence agencies in both countries are now working to determine her whereabouts. Indian government sources told IANS that the Indian High Commission in Pakistan is coordinating with local authorities regarding the case.
The Sikh group had traveled to Nankana Sahib on November 4 to mark Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Parkash Parv. Pakistani officials reportedly barred 14 Hindu pilgrims from Delhi and Lucknow from joining the group.
The Union government had granted permission late last month for the Sikh pilgrims to undertake the 10-day visit, after initially denying approval over security concerns.
Each year, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) sends Sikh delegations to Pakistan to visit major religious sites associated with the Sikh faith, particularly during Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birth anniversary. (Source: IANS)
