ISLAMABAD: The government has invited applications from people intending to attend the annual urs of Hazrat Amir Khusro (RA) in India in May 2023.

Interested pilgrims may download the application from the website of religious affairs ministry and submit them by December 5.

The quota for the urs of Hazrat Amir Khusro in New Delhi is 200 pilgrims, set under the 1974 Pakistan-India protocol on visits to religious shrines. Under the protocol the pilgrims from Pakistan are allowed to visit six shrines in Indina for the urs.

While expressing concerns over the implementation of the protocol, a senior ministry official said India has deliberately been sabotaging the pilgrimages at various pretexts. The official recalled that India in February dec­lined to issue visas to pilgrims at the last moment proceeding to attend urs of Khawaja Moin­uddin Chi­shti.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2022