173 Katas Raj pilgrims' visas: foreign Office terms Indian allegations baseless

Foreign Office on Tuesday dismissed Indian baseless allegations that Pakistan has refused visas to 173 Katas Raj pilgrims. Responding to a query with respect to unfounded Indian allegations that "Pakistan is refusing visas to 173 Katas Raj pilgrims," Spokesperson Foreign Office Dr Mohammad Faisal stated that "these are completely baseless."
He underscored that Pakistan had made all the arrangements for the visit of pilgrims, who, regrettably, were forced to withdraw their applications from the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi due to non-issuance of no objection certificate (NOC) by the Ministry of External Affairs of India. Recently, India has also denied the visits of Sikh pilgrims, followed by that of Zaireens from Pakistan, and now Katas Raj pilgrims, the opportunity to participate in their religious festivals, he added.
"Indian actions run counter to the letter and spirit of 'the 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines' and an obstruction for the people-to-people contacts," he said, adding that such steps violate the basic human right to religious freedom and are indicative of the escalatory ladder on which the government of India has embarked. These are against the spirit of peace and tranquillity that Pakistan has been trying to promote, he added.