Policeman's gesture of interfaith harmony goes viral

A Punjab Police officer’s heartfelt welcome to Sikh pilgrims at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal has gone viral, winning widespread praise for showcasing Pakistan’s spirit of interfaith harmony and hospitality.

In the touching video, the officer is seen warmly embracing an elderly Sikh woman, affectionately calling her “mother” and reciting a heartfelt poem that moved many to tears.

Overcome with emotion, the elderly woman weeps against the officer’s chest as fellow pilgrims and bystanders look on, capturing the powerful moment on their phones.

Social media users flooded platforms with messages of appreciation, praising the officer’s compassion and humanity, hailing the officer’s compassion and the broader message of unity and respect conveyed through his gesture.

The Gurdwara Panja Sahib, one of the holiest sites for Sikhs, is a major destination for pilgrims visiting Pakistan, especially during religious festivals and special commemorations.

Thousands of Sikh pilgrims come to Pakistan every year to commemorate Baisakhi, a centuries-old festival marking the wheat harvest and carrying profound religious significance for Sikhs.

Baisakhi also commemorates the founding of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.

Ahead of this year's festivities, the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi issued more than 6,500 visas to Indian Sikh pilgrims, allowing them to visit revered shrines in Pakistan between April 10 and 19, including Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.

These visits are facilitated under the Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, aimed at fostering religious harmony and cross-border understanding.

It may be noted that relations between Pakistan and India have plunged to their lowest point in years following the deadly gun attack on April 22 in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), where 26 tourists, including one Nepali national, were shot dead in Pahalgam’s scenic Baisaran Valley.

India swiftly accused Pakistan of supporting "cross-border terrorism" in the wake of the assault, the deadliest on civilians in Kashmir in nearly 25 years.

Islamabad has firmly denied any involvement, calling India's accusations “frivolous” and “devoid of rationality,” and warned it would respond resolutely to any aggression.

In the aftermath, New Delhi suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, downgraded diplomatic ties, cancelled visas for Pakistanis and shut down the main land border crossing with Pakistan.

Islamabad responded by expelling Indian diplomats and military advisers, cancelling visas for Indian nationals, with the exception of Sikh pilgrims, and closing the main border crossing from its side.

The United Nations (UN) has since urged both countries to exercise "maximum restraint" and resolve their disputes peacefully through dialogue.