LAHORE: As many as 500 Sikh pilgrims crossed over to Pakistan from India through the Wagah border to visit Nankana Sahib to open the celebrations of the upcoming 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak in November.

According to a Foreign Office statement: `This morning [Tuesday], a special Jatha of a little over 500 Indian Sikh Pilgrims crossed over to Pakistan for Nankana Sahib. These pilgrims are scheduled to kickstart celebrations of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak from his birthplace, Nankana Sahib, from Thursday, Aug 1.

It said Pakistan`s High Commission in New Delhi issued visas to the Indian Sikh pilgrims who are part of the special fatha on July 26. The pilgrims entered Lahore and reached Nankana Sahib after the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued a special visa for the short trip, which ends on Aug 1.

These visas were granted `over and above` the thousands of visas that Pakistan issues every year under the framework of the PakistanIndia Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, 1974, the FO said.

`Pakistan feels honoured that celebrations of the 550th Birth Anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak by Indian Sikhs are being started from Nankana Sahib. The Government of Pakistan is taking a number of important initiatives including opening of the Kartarpur Corridor to make the 550th Birth Anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak memorable and historic,` it said.

`Pakistan also believes in the policy of promoting visits to religious shrines and people-to-people contacts between Pakistan and India,` the release concluded.

`The High Commission was requested to issue visa to 550 pilgrims for the special trip for three days. But the visas were issued to total 502 Yatris. Four pilgrims had crossed via Wagah border a few days ago to participate in the anniversary celebrations, while 498 pilgrims crossed over to Pakistan on Tuesday,` Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Secretary Tariq Wazir told Dawn.

`But there will be no Nagar Kirtan (a religious procession) in Nankana, as it should begin on the Indian soil and end here since Pakistan is the birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak Dev,` he added.

`Pakistan has issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to Sardar Parmjeet Sarna to start Nagar Kirtan from India and bring it here with 1,000 to 1,500 pilgrims,` a senior official, requesting anonymity, explained.

He said that the formal proceedings of Guru Nanak`s birth anniversary would start from Nov 5.

`There would be an inaugural ceremony at Kartarpur on November 8. It would be attended by Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Pakistan government has invited the Indian premier to attend the mega event as well,` he said.