Sikh pilgrims from Pakistan who were earlier stopped from boarding their flight to India have now been granted permission by Pakistani authorities to undertake their pilgrimage.A 49-member jatha is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on October 8 via Tashkent for a month-long religious tour of prominent Sikh shrines across India.However, the pilgrims are unlikely to visit Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand as the revered shrine is scheduled to close for the winter on October 10 due to adverse weather conditions. The shrine has consequently been excluded from their itinerary.Confirming the development, Paramjeet Singh Chandok, Advisor to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), said the Pakistan Interior Ministry had reviewed the matter and permitted the pilgrims to travel.“The Sikhs in Pakistan now have reason to rejoice. After reviewing the matter in which the pilgrims were stopped at Faisalabad Airport, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has granted them permission to visit India. They possess valid Indian visas valid till October 30. They will fly back from New Delhi,” Chandok said.During their five-day stay in the national capital, the pilgrims will visit several historic gurdwaras associated with the Sikh Gurus, including Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, Gurdwara Nanak Piao Sahib, Gurdwara Damdama Sahib, Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Gurdwara Baba Banda Singh Bahadur and Gurdwara Bala Sahib.The group will then travel to Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib before proceeding to Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar.Chandok said the pilgrims had purchased a fresh set of return air tickets to facilitate their journey.“The money spent on the earlier air tickets has effectively gone to waste, and the chances of obtaining a refund appear slim,” he said.He said talks were underway with the concerned Indian authorities on whether the pilgrims could visit Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib before October 10 under special escort.“But chances were bleak, given the weather conditions prevailing in Uttarakhand,” he said.Eight districts in Uttarakhand have been placed under a yellow alert, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds amid changing weather conditions in the state.The pilgrims had originally planned to travel on September 11. Sikh devotees from Peshawar, Panja Sahib, Lahore and Nankana Sahib were scheduled to fly from Faisalabad to Sharjah and then onward to New Delhi.Although Indian visas had been issued to 104 pilgrims for visits to Delhi, Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib and Hemkund Sahib, a group of 94 persons, including children, was allegedly prevented from boarding the aircraft at Faisalabad Airport.Reports suggested that some passengers were stopped over issues related to return tickets and the alleged absence of required No Objection Certificates (NOCs).Reacting strongly to the incident, former Pakistan Punjab Parliamentary Secretary and former minister Mahinderpal Singh had condemned the alleged treatment meted out to the Sikh pilgrims.He had demanded a high-level inquiry into the episode and placed three key demands before the Government of Pakistan, calling for accountability and measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.