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Simranjit Singh Mann, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Mann faction, crossed over into Pakistan from the Wagah border in Amritsar district of Punjab on Thursday, on a pilgrimage to the Sikh shrines in Pakistan on the occasion of Baisakhi.
Mann's trip came as a surprise to senior leaders of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, who have been protesting against the Centre's decision not to allow jathas of Sikh pilgrims to go to Pakistan this year because of the security environment in South Asia.
Every year thousands of Sikh pilgrims visit Nankana Sahib and Punja Sahib on Baisakhi (April 13).
A top Intelligence Bureau officer confirmed that Mann had crossed over on Thursday afternoon. "We can confirm that Mann has indeed gone to Pakistan," he said. "We had to allow him since he has a diplomatic passport. There is no restriction on those holding diplomatic passports."
Union home ministry sources said the decision to deny permission to Sikh pilgrims to visit Pakistan this year was taken by the prime minister's office and the home ministry was not even consulted. In fact, IB officers posted in Punjab had even cleared most of the pilgrims seeking to visit gurdwaras in Pakistan before the PMO announced its decision.
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