A woman Sikh pilgrim has gone missing from a group of devotees who travelled to Pakistan on November 4 to celebrate the Parkash Purab (birth anniversary) of Guru Nanak Dev.
The pilgrim has been identified as Sarabjit Kaur, a resident of Kapurthala district in Punjab.
According to official records, she travelled to Pakistan with a group of 1,923 pilgrims via the Attari border in Amritsar under a bilateral agreement that facilitates visits to religious shrines. The jatha was led by Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj of Akal Takht Sahib.
After spending 10 days visiting various gurdwaras in Pakistan, 1,922 pilgrims returned to India on Thursday evening.
Immigration records revealed that Sarabjit Kaur was missing from the returning group. Her name was not found in Pakistan’s exit records, nor does it appear in India’s re-entry records.
Following her disappearance, intelligence agencies in both India and Pakistan have launched efforts to trace her whereabouts. Sources in the Indian government told IANS that the Indian mission in Pakistan is in contact with Pakistani authorities.
On November 4, the Sikh pilgrims travelled to Nankana Sahib in Pakistan to celebrate Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Parkash Parv. However, Pakistani officials reportedly denied permission to 14 Hindus from Delhi and Lucknow who had planned to accompany the Sikh group.
Last month, the Union government granted permission for the 10-day pilgrimage to Nankana Sahib, nearly two weeks after initially denying the request due to security concerns.
Every year, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) sends a delegation of Sikh devotees to Pakistan to offer prayers at historic gurdwaras associated with the Sikh faith, particularly on the occasion of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Parkash Purab.
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