ISLAMABAD: Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sahibzada Noorul Haq Qadri on Monday said India has refused to issue visas to the intending Pakistani aspirants of attending the forthcoming Urs of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti being held in Ajmir Sharif, India, this month.In a statement, the minister said India has refused visas to Pakistan pilgrims desiring to attend the Urs of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti for second consecutive year, exposing the real face of India which has indeed become hostage in the hands of religious extremists.He said the Indian embassy in Islamabad has informed the ministry via telephone about refusal of visas. The ministry has conveyed the pilgrims through short Messaging Services (SMS) on mobile telephone.Indian embassy has not yet returned the passports of intending pilgrims. He said 500 Pakistani religious pilgrims were scheduled to leave for Ajmir Sharif (India) on March 7 to attend the Urs of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti Ajmiri scheduled to be held this month.On contrary, he said, Pakistan has issued 5,600 visas to Sikh and 312 Hindu Yatrees this year. As many as 98 Sikh Yatrees have already reached Pakistan to visit their sacred religious places. Earlier, he said, India had issued only 190 visas from out of 400 sought for participating in the Urs of Alauddin Sabir and Nizamuddin Auliya.
03-05-2019, 01:24 PM
India refuses visas to 500 Pak pilgrims
العرض الشجري