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more than 2,000 Sikh Pilgrims from India arrived in East Pakistan on Tuesday to join the annual commemoration birth of the founder of their religionThe first people-to-people contact since a brief military conflict in May, officials said.
Wagah border crossing in Punjab has been closed for months stress caused by conflictIt has been reopened by Pakistani authorities to facilitate the pilgrimage, said Nasir Mushtaq, a government official.
pilgrims arrived Lahore Before traveling to the town of Nankana Sahib where the temple of Guru Nanak is located.
“Granting visas to Sikh pilgrims and reopening the border reflects Pakistan’s respect for religious minorities and its commitment to foster cultural ties despite ongoing political disputes,” Mr Mushtaq said.
Sikhs They are a small minority in Muslim-majority Pakistan.
Relations between Pakistan and India have a history of sourness and tensions rose in April when Delhi accused Islamabad of supporting terrorists who attacked and killed 26 tourists in the restive Himalayan region of Kashmir. Pakistan denied the claim and called for an international investigation.
In the months that followed, diplomatic relations were reduced, border crossings were closed. Both sides launched military attacks,
Fighting between the nuclear-armed rivals ended after US President Donald Trump said he had brokered a ceasefire to prevent a wider conflict.
However, both sides have yet to fully restore diplomatic ties, trade or movement of people.