Islamabad: Patron-in-chief of Pakistan Hindu Council Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani has announced to lead a delegation of Pakistani pilgrims to India on January 29 on a special chartered flight of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
The Pakistani pilgrims will depart for India for three days. During their stay, they will visit Dargah Nizamuddin Auliya Delhi, Dargah Khawaja Gharib Nawaz Ajmer Sharif and the great monument of Mughal rule, Taj Mahal Agra. For the promotion of religious tourism in the region, Dr Ramesh Kumar further informed that next month on February 20, an Air India flight will be operated from New Delhi to Peshawar in order to facilitate Indian yatrees to Samadhi of Shri Param Hans Ji Maharaj / Teri temple.
“Pakistani pilgrims will be taken on the special PIA flight to visit religious places in India while Indian pilgrims will arrive in Pakistan on Air India flights,” Dr Vankwani said, confirming that the series of flights between the two countries has been started on a monthly basis.
He further expressed the hope that the promotion of religious tourism could bring the people of the two countries closer. According to him, the proposed visit of Pakistani pilgrims to India is in connection with the religious tourism initiative on November 24 last year and later on the eve of New Year.
This month, Hindu pilgrims from India and Gulf countries had arrived in Peshawar on January 1 via Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai to visit Shri Param Hansji Maharaj’s Samadhi / Terry Temple in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Indian pilgrims were not allowed to travel on the PIA flight at the last moment by the Indian authorities after which they were brought to Pakistan via Wagah border. However, the proposal by Indian government to facilitate Indian yatrees on Air India flights has been accepted by Dr. Ramesh Kumar.
“On March 1, another delegation of Indian yatrees will land in Karachi on the Air India flight for the pilgrimage of Hinglaj Mata Temple Balochistan and other historical sacred sites,” he further announced. ARY
