Pakistan summons Indian envoy, protests denial of visas to pilgrims

Pakistan Friday summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner to lodge a protest over denial of visas to 500 pilgrims for the Urs at Ajmer.

The Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gopal Baglay was summoned to Pakistan's foreign office here and conveyed about Islamabad's "deep disappointment and concern" over the denial of visas by India -- the fourth time in the last one year, according to a foreign office statement.

Pakistan said that the "visits to religious shrines in Pakistan and India were governed under the Bilateral Protocol on Visits to the Religious Shrines, 1974". The foreign office conveyed its deep disappointment and concern over the denial of visas by the Indian government. This is the fourth time that visas have been denied to Pakistani pilgrims in the last one year, the statement said.

Pakistan said that the move "is not only against the bilateral agreement, but also runs contrary to the efforts towards normalizing ties between the two countries and the spirit of people-to-people contacts".