ISLAMABAD, Jan 25 (APP): The 240 pilgrims have left for Ajmer Sharif, India to participate in Hazrat Khawaja Moin-ud-Din Chishti’s(Rehmatullah Aleih) 811th annual Urs.
Khawaja Moin-ud-Din Chishti, who is well-known as Khawaja Gharib Nawaz’s, his Urs would be observed on 6th Rajab-ul-Murajjab (January 29), said the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony’s Spokesperson Muhammad Umar Butt in a talk with APP on Wednesday.
He also informed that the pilgrims proceeded for India via Wagah border the other day.
He said the ministry applied for 488 visas of the faithful, but out of total, only 249 pilgrims were issued visas by the Indian Embassy, Islamabad. Only one official of the ministry who was supposed to look after the pilgrims during their stay in the neighbouring country was provided the visa, he added.
Umar Butt said the ministry received 2,300 applications but after the computerized balloting 500 fortunate faithfuls were selected as per the official quota for the pilgrimage to Ajmer Sharif.
The visit of Pakistani pilgrims is covered under the framework of the 1974 India-Pakistan protocol on visits to religious shrines, he added.