India Denies 503 Pakistan Visas for Pending Security Clearances

India and Pakistan were one nation before they split in 1947 and because of that, there are religious shrines from all religions spread in both countries. And because these countries have never gotten quite along, they signed the 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol that allows Pakistanis to visit religious shrines in India, obviously on a visa. However, India violated the protocol recently, and that has definitely left Pakistani government angry. Around 500 Pakistani pilgrims applied for the religious visa for visiting the Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti, Ajmer, which is very popular among Muslims. After Pakistan expressed its disappointment, India replied saying that the visa applicants didn’t clear the required security clearances. According to Pakistani foreign ministry, visiting the shrine in India is an annual feature of the 1974 protocol. The ministry further said that it is very ironic for India not to grant visa as Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti has been bringing people from the two countries together. Foreign ministry’s statement clearly notes the deep disappointment they felt after India denied visas of 503 Pakistani pilgrims for visiting the Urs of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti between March 19 and 29, 2018. The Indian government was fierce in its response to defend their action. In a statement released by the Indian government, it is revealed that it isn’t the first time both sides didn’t send pilgrims as a part of the protocol. In the past, pilgrims weren’t sent due to security constraints, and it isn’t different this time around.

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