India has issued visas to only 249 Pakistani pilgrims to visit Ajmer Sharif instead of 488 applicants who intended to visit the shrine of revered Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti in Rajasthan. According to a spokesperson of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, over 200 Pakistani pilgrims had been deprived of paying homage to the Sufi saint, Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday. He said that the Indian authorities have also declined visas to six officials deputed to take care of the pilgrims during their stay in India. He, however, said that only one of the six officials was granted permission to go with the Zaireen (pilgrims). All our planning had been completed but, all of it went to waste when India abruptly denied us visas,” Fayyaz lamented.
