The joy of several pilgrims on the eve of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birth anniversary was marred by a startling turn at the border crossing at Wagah when a group of Hindus, who had crossed into Pakistan alongside a larger Sikh delegation, was suddenly barred from proceeding further, despite having completed all formalities.

The Times of India reported that the Hindus, including families from Delhi and Lucknow, “walked back humiliated" after Pakistani officials announced that only those listed as Sikhs would be allowed to board the bus bound for the sacred site in Nankana Sahib. “They told us, ‘You are Hindu, you can’t go with the Sikh jatha’," recalled one pilgrim.

In total, Pakistani authorities had approved over 2,100 visas for Indian pilgrims, but only 1,796 crossed the border as part of th

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