According to a report, 92 Pakistani Sikh pilgrims were stopped at Faisalabad International Airport on Friday, September 11th, 2026, as they were going to India for a religious pilgrimage. They were prevented from going to India when Pakistani authorities asked for a No Objection Certificate (NOC), creating confusion and frustration among the devotees.
In a report published by The Times of India on September 11, the pilgrims were travelling as a jatha to visit Sri Hemkund Sahib, one of the most revered Sikh pilgrimage sites in India. They were stranded at the airport when they were told they could not go without any sort of clearance.
Pilgrims Question NOC Requirement
The main issue appears to be the demand for an NOC before the pilgrims could leave Pakistan. The Sikh devotees reportedly maintained that such a certificate was not required for their planned journey, and there was a dispute at the airport.
The incident raised questions for the path to religious travel between India and Pakistan. Sikh devotees in Pakistan, who visit historical gurdwaras and pilgrimage places in India, find it an important religious activity, but it can be very difficult to do so when the country is divided by diplomatic tension and administrative restrictions.
The comments that the pilgrims were being treated like potential security threats have added an emotional element to the episode.
Hemkund Sahib Pilgrimage
The group went to Sri Hemkund Sahib, a major Sikh shrine in Uttarakhand. The pilgrimage has deep religious significance for Sikhs and attracts devotees from all over the world.
Such disruption is occurring as movement between India and Pakistan is sensitive. Religious travel has historically been an important channel of people-to-people contact between the two countries, despite broader political discord.
92 Sikh pilgrims travelling to India detained at Faisalabad airport over lack of NOC, question Pakistan govt's treatment. pic.twitter.com/jWOr8lLxV9
— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) September 11, 2026
India-Pakistan Tensions Affect Religious Travel
The latest episode follows other difficulties faced by Pakistani Sikh pilgrims who wish to travel to India. Pakistan’s authorities earlier this month denied permission for Sikh worshipers to go to India via the Wagah-Attari land route, forcing some pilgrims to resort to more expensive indirect routes.
These developments have triggered concerns among Sikh organisations and community representatives that religious travel is being unnecessarily affected by strained bilateral relations.
The issue is particularly sensitive because Sikh shrines and pilgrimage places are located on both sides of the India-Pakistan border. The ability of devotees to visit these places has traditionally relied on bilateral arrangements and government permissions.
Incident Highlights Growing Uncertainty
The Faisalabad airport incident highlights how administrative requirements can quickly disrupt religious journeys. While the NOC dispute is the immediate reason cited for stopping the pilgrims, the episode is likely to get more attention due to the overall political climate between Delhi and Islamabad.
