ISLAMABAD  -  What should have been a sacred pilgrimage to holy sites in Pakistan turned into a harrowing ordeal for a group of Sikh pilgrims from Britain and Canada. The group, most of them elderly, allege that their journey earlier in November was marred by mismanagement, threats, and an abrupt, unexplained expulsion.

At the centre of their complaints is Gill Tours, a UK-based travel agency that had arranged the trip. The pilgrims, including three women who spoke to The Nation, alleged that the tour operator failed to provide the promised services and turned their spiritual journey into a “nightmare.” Those who complained about the poor arrangements and ill-treatment were reportedly threatened with police action for alleged crimes they say they did not commit -- and ultimately forced 23 members of the group to leave Pakistan prematurely, despite their visas being valid.

The deportation, they say, was accompanied by a claim from the company that “certain quarters” had demanded their removal for causing “disturbance” — an accusation the pilgrims vehemently deny.

Thousands of Sikh pilgrims visit Pakistan annually to worship at shrines in cities like Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur, a cornerstone of Pakistan’s push to promote religious tourism. Last month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced a new fast-track visa policy, offering Sikh pilgrims from the West free online visas within 30 minutes of arrival. The initiative was lauded as a step toward fostering cultural connections and boosting tourism.

But for the pilgrims who booked their journey with Gill Tours, quick visas meant little when paired with what they describe as mistreatment. “The company made us wait hours for buses that often didn’t arrive, provided shabby vehicles, and disrupted our meals,” said Anita Ahluwalia, 62, one of the pilgrims. “And when we asked questions, we were silenced with threats or ignored altogether.”

Ahluwalia recounted an incident when her husband’s wheelchair broke down at a shrine, leaving her to rely on passing police officers for assistance. Her husband, a stroke survivor with a heart condition, was one of several elderly travellers whose medical needs went unmet.

On the night of November 13, Ahluwalia and other pilgrims say they were woken up by loud knocks on their hotel doors in Lahore. Gill Tours staff, accompanied by private security guards, told them that their visas had been revoked and they were being expelled for allegedly speaking against Pakistan. “We were treated like criminals,” Ahluwalia said. “When we reached the Wagah Border, immigration officials told us our visas were still valid. We didn’t know what to believe.”

The company’s owner, Zeeshan Gill, admitted that the visas had not been cancelled. Instead, he claimed “certain institutions” had asked him to remove the pilgrims due to “serious disturbances” they were allegedly causing. When pressed, he provided no details or evidence to back up his claim.

For others in the group, the experience was equally bleak. Jaswant Kaur Sidhu, 63, said that the lack of proper services disrupted the group’s daily schedule, often delaying their visits to religious sites by hours. When Sidhu’s sister raised concerns about her diabetic husband missing meals, a Gill Tours representative reportedly responded, “If your husband doesn’t eat for one day, he won’t die.”

The pilgrims had each paid between £1,100 and £2,100 for the trip, depending on their point of departure, booking through Akaal Channel, a UK-based Sikh TV network that subcontracted the trip to Gill Tours. Sidhu said she and others plan to file a formal complaint against both organisations, holding them accountable for what she called “gross negligence and inhuman behaviour.”

AN ORDEAL AT WAGAH BORDER: For some pilgrims, the suffering extended even after their expulsion. Inderjit Cheema, a 62-year-old British citizen travelling on an Indian passport, was stopped at the Wagah Border alongside another pilgrim because their entry into the local police record had not been registered—a responsibility that, she says, Gill Tours had promised to handle. “We were left stranded at the border, separated from our families, with no money or phones,” Cheema said. “It was terrifying.”

The two women eventually received help from a local official, who arranged for them to stay at a hotel overnight before completing the necessary police formalities the next day.

Gill Tours, however, denied responsibility for the oversight. “It’s the pilgrims’ duty to report to the police,” Gill said.

A senior Lahore police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, disputed that claim, saying it is the host’s responsibility to ensure guests’ arrival is recorded with local authorities.

As Pakistan seeks to position itself as a welcoming destination for Sikh pilgrims, this case has raised urgent questions. Is the fast-track visa policy enough if tour operators fail to meet basic service standards?

Activists and industry experts are calling for the Interior and Tourism Ministries to regulate these operators, ensuring accountability and transparency. Penalties such as fines, license suspensions, or even blacklisting have been proposed for tour operators whose negligence causes inconvenience and discomfort to pilgrims, especially the elderly, who visit their holy sites, often as a final wish.