Pakistan has offered to consider a visa for Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann after he was invited to the World Punjabi Conference in Lahore on November 27However, his visit will depend on whether the Indian government grants him permission to travel.
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Pakistan has said it is willing to consider granting a visa to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann if he wants to visit the country for the upcoming World Punjabi Conference in LahoreHowever, the final decision on whether Mann can travel to Pakistan will depend on permission from the Indian government.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan made the announcement during his weekly media briefing in Islamabad on Friday, November 6He was responding to a question about Mann’s possible visit to Pakistan.
Khan said the Pakistani government would consider issuing a visa to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader if he wished to visitHowever, he made it clear that getting a Pakistani visa and receiving permission from the Indian government were two separate matters.
The development comes days after Mann revealed that he had received an invitation to attend the World Punjabi Conference in Lahore on November 27.
Speaking in the Punjab Assembly on October 23, Mann said the organisers had invited him to the event and offered to host himHowever, he expressed doubts about whether the Centre would allow him to travel to Pakistan.
“Our culture is the sameMany poets from here will go there,” Mann had said while talking about the conference.
According to reports, the event is scheduled to take place from November 27 to 29 and is expected to bring together people from different countries to celebrate the Punjabi language, literature and culture.
Mann had also expressed his wish to visit Kartarpur Sahib along with all members of the Punjab Assembly, including opposition leaders, if the corridor reopened.
Why is Kartarpur corridor closed?
The Kartarpur Corridor has remained closed to Indian pilgrims since May 7, 2025India suspended movement through the route following Operation Sindoor, which was launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
During Operation Sindoor, Indian armed forces carried out strikes on nine terror-related locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The corridor connects Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, PakistanThe shrine is an important religious site for Sikhs as Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, spent the last years of his life there.
The route was opened in November 2019 to allow Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the shrine without obtaining a Pakistani visaUnder the arrangement, pilgrims can travel to the gurdwara and return to India on the same day.
Pakistan has said it is ready to welcome pilgrims through the corridor once India lifts the restrictionsHowever, India’s official pilgrimage portal continues to state that services through the corridor are suspended until further orders.
Pakistan issues around 9000 visas to Indian pilgrims
During Friday’s briefing, Khan also spoke about religious visits between India and PakistanHe said Islamabad had issued more than 9,000 visas to Indian religious pilgrims in 2025, including Sikh and Hindu devotees.
He added that over 4,000 more visas had been issued to Sikh pilgrims during the first six months of 2026.
Pakistan is also preparing to welcome Sikh devotees from India and other countries for the 557th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak DevThe main celebrations are scheduled to take place at Nankana Sahib later this month.
The Pakistani authorities have also reviewed arrangements for the visiting pilgrims, including security, transport, accommodation, medical facilities and food.
Khan referred to the 1974 India-Pakistan Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, which provides the framework for religious visits between the two countries.
He also highlighted the Kartarpur Corridor, saying the special arrangement was designed to allow more than 5,000 pilgrims to visit the shrine every day.
Apart from Sikh religious sites, the spokesperson said Pakistan was also working to protect Buddhist heritage locations, including Taxila and Takht-i-BahiA special task force has reportedly been set up for their preservation.
