India has plenty of pilgrimage sites for Hindus. There are many auspicious and historical temples that devotees from far and wide flock to see. Many Hindus, not just from India, but also from the neighbouring countries travel to these religious shrines to fulfil the spiritual and religious aspects of their lives. In a recent incident, however, close to 200 Pakistani Hindus were stopped at the Pakistani border and were barred from entering India.
190 Pakistani Hindus Barred From Visiting India
Around 190 Hindus from the interior Sindh province of Pakistan were travelling to India to visit its many religious places on a pilgrimage. However, their journey came to an abrupt halt when they were barred from crossing the border of their own country.
All of these people, according to sources, had valid visas that allowed entry into India, however, the immigration authorities at the Wagah border near Pakistan’s Lahore did not clear them. According to some sources, the reason for this refusal is that upon questioning, they failed to provide satisfactory or convincing reasons for the purpose of their visit.
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Families Might Illegally Extend Their Stays And Defame The Country
According to sources, the reason why the families have been stopped is that they live inside temporary and makeshift huts. In the past, there have been instances when people, on the pretence of going on pilgrimage, have crossed the border and stayed in India for much longer than initially purported.
Sources also reported that such people, then, defame the country by spreading rumours that they aren’t safe in their homeland, thus creating political turmoil. The immigration authorities at the Wagah border suspected that the people wanting to cross the border now also intended to do the same. Therefore, they were not cleared to cross the border.
The source also added that as of now, there are many Pakistani families living in huts in Rajasthan and Delhi. They went on the pretence of going on pilgrimage but ended up staying for longer.
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