*LAHORE: *

The perennially tense relationship between India and Pakistan has hit a newlow during the Covid-19 health crisis. While Islamabad continues to allowSikhs and Hindus to cross the border to perform religious rituals, theNarendra Modi government remains rigid in its policies towards pilgrimsfrom Pakistan.

According to detail available with The Express Tribune, the Indiangovernment has stopped issuing visas to pilgrims from Pakistan. “Pilgrimagevisas to India are not being processed,” confirmed a resident of Lahore,who wishes to cross the border for an upcoming Urs of a revered saint.

Despite India’s refusal to allow pilgrims from Pakistan, the government inIslamabad has recently issued visas to members of the Sikh community. Themove allowed more than 600 Sikh pilgrims to visit Nankana Sahib for thebirth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak last week.

The exchange of pilgrims and uninterrupted religious tourism between thetwo rivals was sealed in an agreement more than four decades ago. Under thepact, Pakistan promised to issue visas for Sikh and Hindu religious events.Similarly, New Delhi also agreed to issue visas to Pakistani pilgrims forthe annual Urs of revered saints, who are mostly buried across the borderin India.

“India has never followed the agreement on religious tourism,” said ImranSiddiqui, spokesperson of Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs.Siddiqui confirmed no visas were issued to Pakistani pilgrims this year.

India, he said, is using the pandemic as an excuse to restrict Sikhpilgrims from visiting Pakistan. On the other side of the border, DevikaMittal, a senior professor at the University of Delhi and a human rightsactivist, also believes that religious tourism must continue.