Indian Sikh Woman Disappears During Religious Pilgrimage to Pakistan's Nankana Sahib

Sikh pilgrims traveled to Nankana Sahib, Pakistan to celebrate the Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. (File)

A female Sikh pilgrim has disappeared from a delegation that traveled to Pakistan on November 4 to participate in celebrations marking Guru Nanak Dev's birth anniversary, known as Parkash Purab.

The missing devotee has been identified as Sarabjit Kaur from Kapurthala district in Punjab.

According to official documentation, Sarabjit crossed into Pakistan on November 4 with a group comprising 1,923 pilgrims through the Attari border checkpoint in Amritsar, under a bilateral agreement that facilitates visits to religious sites.

The pilgrimage group was led by Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj from Akal Takht Sahib.

After completing their 10-day pilgrimage to various gurdwaras across Pakistan, 1,922 devotees returned to India on Thursday evening.

Immigration records indicate that Sarabjit Kaur had separated from the group. Her name was absent from Pakistan's exit immigration records and similarly missing from India's re-entry documentation.

Following her disappearance, intelligence agencies from both nations are working to locate her.

Government sources informed IANS that India's diplomatic mission in Pakistan is coordinating with Pakistani authorities regarding the matter.

The Sikh pilgrims had journeyed to Nankana Sahib on November 4 for the Prakash Parv celebrations. Reports indicate that Pakistani officials denied entry to 14 Hindu individuals from Delhi and Lucknow who had intended to travel with the Sikh delegation.

In October, the Indian government granted permission for Sikh pilgrims to undertake their 10-day journey to the Nankana Sahib shrine, approximately two weeks after initially denying authorization due to security concerns.

Annually, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) organizes a delegation of Sikh devotees to visit Pakistan and pay homage at various historic gurdwaras connected to Sikh heritage, particularly during Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Parkash Purb celebrations.