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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Thursday rejected Indian media reports that Islamabad had recently denied entry to Hindus from across the border on religious grounds, describing them as “completely incorrect and mischievous.”

The foreign office’s clarification came in response to reports published in Indian news websites this week claiming Pakistani officials told Hindus from India that they could not travel with Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan, as they were not followers of the Sikh faith. 

More than 2,400 pilgrims from India were granted visas to attend a 10-day festival from Nov. 4-13 to mark 556 years since the birth of Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh faith, Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi said. 

“Pakistan categorically rejects the unfounded and misleading allegations that members of the Hindu community were denied entry into its territory,” the foreign office spokesperson said.

“These claims are entirely baseless and represent yet another attempt to distort facts and politicize a matter that was purely administrative in nature.”

Andrabi said around 1,932 pilgrims successfully crossed into Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah border on Tuesday. He said approximately 300 visa holders were prevented by the Indian authorities from crossing over into Pakistan. 

He said the immigration process on the Pakistani side was “smooth, orderly, and free of any hindrance.” The foreign office spokesperson said “a very small number” of Indian nationals were found to possess incomplete documentation and were unable to provide satisfactory responses to immigration authorities.

“Consequently, they were requested to return to the Indian side in accordance with standard procedures,” Andrabi said. 

“To suggest that these individuals were denied entry on religious grounds is completely incorrect and mischievous,” he added. 

The spokesperson said Pakistan has always welcomed pilgrims from all faiths to visit religious sites in its territory. He added that the move to stop some Indian nationals was “administrative, consistent with Pakistan’s sovereign right to regulate entry into its territory.”

“Any attempt to give this issue a communal or political color is not only regrettable but also reflective of the prejudiced mindset that increasingly dominates the Indian government and media narratives,” the statement concluded. 

Pakistan is home to more than 15,000 Sikhs and every year thousands of Sikh pilgrims visit the country to pay their respects in Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak. 

They also visit other sacred sites in Pakistan including Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak is buried. The Kartarpur Corridor, a visa-free route opened in 2019, allows Indian Sikhs to visit the temple without crossing the main border.