Indian on pilgrimage fails to return home from Pakistan

Amarjit Singh, 24, was not part of a Sikh Jatha that returned on Saturday.

An Indian national, who had gone to Pakistan on a 10-day pilgrimage as part of the Sikh Jatha on April 12, has failed to return home, police said on Sunday.

The Sikh Jatha returned home on Saturday but 24-year-old Amarjit Singh, a resident of village Niranjanpura in Amrtisar district, was not part of it.

“The group of Sikh pilgrims after observing Baisakhi festival and paying obeisance at various Sikh shrines in Pakistan returned yesterday but Amarjit Singh was found missing,” Parampal Singh, SSP, Amritsar (rural), said.

Singh had arrived in Pakistan along with other pilgrims to celebrate Baisakhi on April 12.

His disappearance was only noticed when the Jatha started its return journey to India, according to a Pakistani media report.

Singh’s passport, like that of other pilgrims, was with the officials of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), who immediately informed top officials when Singh failed to collect it within the stipulated time.

According to an initial probe, Singh disappeared on reaching Lahore from Nankana Sahib. A search to locate him is underway, the report said.

Earlier, a woman member of the Jatha, Kiran Bala too failed to come back after she reportedly solemnised marriage in Pakistan with a Muslim after embracing Islam.

Both Amarjit and Bala had gone to Pakistan for a 10-day pilgrimage as part of the Jatha on April 12.

Amarjit had earlier reportedly worked in Malaysia, but had been living at home and helping his family with their agriculture business for the last couple of months.