Indian Sikh pilgrims returned to India on Saturday after celebrating the birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak in Pakistan.

“We are very grateful to the federal government and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) administration. Pakistan is a minority-friendly country and we enjoyed various facilities here,” Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee leader Sardar Gurmeet Singh at the Wagha border crossing.

“The respect we received in Pakistan is impossible to describe in words,” he added.

Last week, Sikh pilgrims from around the world received a warm welcome in Pakistan as they celebrated the 555th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.

The festivities took place at Gurdwara Babe Di Beri in Sialkot, where the administration greeted attendees with flower bouquets and scattered petals in their honour.

Visitors from Pakistan, India, Canada, the United States, Dubai, and other nations gathered to perform religious rituals at this historic site. In celebration of the occasion, sweets were distributed, and meals were served in the Langar Hall, showcasing the traditional hospitality of the community.

The party leader of the Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee, Sardar Harjit Singh, said: “Our gurdwaras have been restored to their original condition and their beauty. The Pakistani government made excellent arrangements for medical transport and hospitality.”

Sikh pilgrims expressed their feelings and thanked the Government of Pakistan.

Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora and ETB Additional Secretary Shrines Saifullah Khokhar bid farewell to the Indian guests and presented them with gifts.

Arora said minorities in Pakistan “enjoy complete protection and religious freedom” and all facilities including education and employment are “equally available” to them.