Guwahati: An Indian national who had previously been refused a visa by a Pakistani court entered the nation on Tuesday to complete his arduous walk to Saudi Arabia to conduct the Haj.
29-year-old Shihab Bhai entered Pakistan across the Wagah border and was welcomed by Sarwar Taj, who had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court on behalf of Shihab, and Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation Pakistan chairman Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi.
Qureshi stated that Shihab was overjoyed to receive the visa to continue his journey to Mecca.
“He has brought a message of love, friendship and brotherhood,” Qureshi said, adding he wanted to organise an event in Shihab’s honour on the premises of Lahore High Court but could not do so because of security issues.
Shihab, a native of Kerala, set out on foot to travel 3,000 kilometres from his home state to the Wagah border in October of last year but was halted by Pakistani immigration officials because he lacked a visa.
“Shihab pleaded before the immigration authorities that he was going to perform Hajj on foot and had already travelled 3,000 km and should be allowed to enter the country on humanitarian grounds. He wanted a transit visa to reach Saudi Arabia via Iran,” a Federal Investigation Agency official had said.
Haj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, considered the holiest city for Muslims.
Taj, a Lahore resident, petitioned the Lahore High Court (LHC) to obtain Shihab a transit visa so that he may go to Saudi Arabia.
He suggested that the Pakistani government ought to offer Shihab a visa in the same way that it does for Sikh pilgrims from India who travel there to celebrate Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary and other special events.
The LHC dismissed his petition, observing that the “petitioner was not related to the Indian citizen, nor did he hold his power of attorney to approach the court.”
Taj later appealed the judgement to Pakistan’s Supreme Court.
