Every religion is allowed in Pakistan to practice it. This Vaisaki celebrations is living proof. Everybody has to respect every religion.

Happy Baisakhi to all our Sikh visitors...and Pakistani loquat is very tasty!

Bole so nihal - sat sri Akal.

These pictures of prayers,peace, devotion and harmony bring message of friendship to all not only in Pakistan but the entire world.Happy Baisakhi.

Very warm Welcome to our esteemed guest, Greater Pakistan welcomes you.

Happy Baisaki to all our Baisaki visitors. Pakistani people love you all. Please pray for for all of us too and come every year to celebrate and pray

Happy Baisakhi to all our Sikh Brothers and Sisters. Sat Sri Akal !!!

Happy Baisakhi to our Sikh community and foreign visitors.Every body's faith must be respected if we want to live in peace.

Happy Vaisakhi and welcome home especially to those Sikhs who are originally from Pakistan and native to our soil.

great cant help saluting dawn. what a contrast in Pakistan. on one side we say religious fanaticism and this is another face. i sincerely feel we all have some human values buried deep into us somewhere. thanks.

Pl provide good facilities for the pilgrims, particularly for the internationals. We need good hotels, better transportation, restaurants, souvenir shops, and better cleanliness, and seamless service for movement. The numbers will multiply.

Nice to see the smiling faces of pilgrims. U r welcome here.

Thank You Dawn for such a nice coverage.That makes me your regular reader.

This is the true face of Pakistan. But we should aim for better. A true Islamic egalitarian society where all are respected and their faith protected.

Simply wonderful pictures!

Thanks for reporting!!! Wonderful pictures! If god permits..Once a life I will also attend the pilegrims for Baisakhi in these holy places! What a loss for sikhs coused by the partision, but anyway its good that it still possible to get visas on such religios occasions.

Wow...never knew...Baisakhi could be celebrated so well in Pakistan

Happy Baisakhi!! Thaks Pakistani people their hospitality!

Beautiful happy pics.Heart warming.

Tolerate only humane features of every religion and keep the religion within the four walls of your house or temples; never bring it to the streets.

Wonderful sights as evidence that humanity shall prevail upon forces of darkness and evil mongering.

We are magnanimous.

Wow, never knew so many skihs visit this place, but lemme tell y'all, sikhs enjoy an utmost respect and are at very high posts in Pakistan. They themselves says this on record that the respect they enjoy here is something some of their counterparts sill don't enjoy in India...

I liked the picture of the man taking a dip and talking on his cell which is hidden...

Ik Onkaar.

Happy Vaisaki to all of you. Lots of love.

Pakistani hospitality is truly commendable. My perception of your country has changed from what I was made to believe from our papers.

Welcome to Pakistan!

Happy Baisakhi to all members of Sikh community!

Thank you so much to our Muslim brothers! Thank you to the government of Pakistan. I really hope to visit Pakistan one day before i die.

@Kamal Pasha. Pakistan should allow free movement of people to visit their places of worship.

One of many colors of my great land Pakistan. This our identity. I request to all our neighbors who always criticize us for no reasons please do appreciate our many positivities and it is one of them.

@Rami Ranger "Pakistan should allow free movement of people to visit their places of worship." We can do that but then many will disguise among you people and do something that will create a rift between the two communities, so it's better to be safe, but we don't create any hindrance in the process, do we??

Happy Vaisakhi to all my Sikh brothers. Sikhism, a religion of peace and equality.

Multiculturalism at its best ,tolerance of diversity and freedom to practice ... that's Islam.

Wow all the comments looks so positive. Dawn, if people are not swearing or using foul languages, I think you should display everyones comments instead of censoring them.

I welcome of Sikh brothers to Pakistan. Wish you all a very pleasant Baisakhi.

As a Pakistani I love it these Sikhs are our blood and brothers. We are one!!! Happy stay in Pakistan brothers!!

Happy Greetings to all Punjabis on Visakhi. It is being celebirated in Punjab even before Sikh religion started. New crop comes to homes of farmers and a circle of economic cycle starts. As money in hand so marriages among Punjabis are fixed in summer. Though Sikhs have religious reasons to observe this day. But again sare hi Punjabia nu Visakhi di lakh lakh vidhai howe. Thanks to dawn for nice coverage.

Happy baisakhi to all Sikh community.

Thank you Dawn, thank u Pakistan pray for peace to prevail in Pakistan and better relations between two countries so that we can freely visit our religious places whole year.

Happy Baisakhi to all Indians and Pakistanis. What a fresh breeze of peace and tranquility? Brings up my childhood memories of Baisakhi in Gurudwara Damdama Sahib, Mirpur (Pakistan Administered Kashmir). Many people in India and USA do not know that over 30,000 Sikhs still live in Pakistan. One Punjabi Sikh is member of legislature in Punjab as a member of PML (N) and a Pukhtoon Sikh is member of legislature in Khyber Pukhtoonwa on PTI ticket. Majority of Sindhi Hindus are also followers of guru Nanak and are operating many Sikh Gurudwaras in Sindh. Bal K. Gupta, author Forgotten Atrocities: Memoirs of a Survivor of the 1947 Partition of India

Happy Baisakhi to all our brothers and sisters.

@sana CAN a SIKH become PM of Pakistan INDIA had both SIKH PM and SIKH President.

Thank you Dawn for your coverage of Baisakhi. Wish we could see more of these wonderful pictures and even share the experience in person.

Welcome Welcome Our Friends from Punjab. You are always welcome even when we were at war with India we welcomed you.

May the beautiful colours of love, respect, harmony and devotion live for ever.

@Rami Ranger after UN kashmir plebiscite.

I love the image with the kids on the stairs.

happy baisaki to all sikh brothers ...and wellcome to pakistan

Baisakhi Mubarak to all Sikh community. Welcome in Pakistan.

I grew up in a place and time when we, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, living in the same area celebrated all festivals together! DAWN has done a great deal to spread these values and it is for us to continue and bring about a positive change not only for the present but for the future generations. Of course, governments on both sides have to play their role and make it feasible for the common man to visit each other without harassment and unnecessary restrictions. Let peace prevail!

Sikh community has same affliction with Hasanabdal and Nankana Sahab. Authorities should make everything available to facilitate our Sikh community during its festivals in Pakistan. Happy Baisakhi to our Sikh commnity.....

Beautiful pictures of the beautiful colors of the world!

Wish all Sikhs have a lovely peaceful.time in performing Theie religious auspicious day

@Tamil I wish you come visit here sometime and give us honour to do your hospitality, you southern indians are far far beter inattitude and anger against Pakistan comparable to your northern counterparts

@Bal K. Gupta ji do you have written some book regarding that issue which you wrote at the end of your comment.

All religions be it Sikhism / Christianity / Hinduism are respected. Islam teaches us to respect others religions so that your religion is respected. Every body is welcomed. Regards

Thanks for covering the celebrations. The word is Vaisakhi/Wasakhee - Vahey ( swims) along witnessing ( sakhee) everything. Spelled as Baisakhi in Punjabi means crutches. Why would media relate Celebrations (Vaisakhi) to crutches for Sikhs or Punjabi folks?

What an irony...one good story (as above) brings the best part of us..(both Indians and Pakistanis)..whereas, one negative story (like Pakistan flag in Kashmir) brings the worst out of us.

Beautiful moments

So festive. Im not a Hindu but I would love to attend this festival next year :)

Sikhism is the true path to God...

@Afzal - Sir, only trouble is when & if children in such communities want to intermarry. Then all friendship & amicability goes out of the window, & we force our children into Either/ Or situations. We should devise a method where in a Muslim can marry a Sikh can marry a Hindu & so on, freely... For that we have to be free thinkers & not Muslims/ Christians/ Hindus etc..

Thank you Dawn for covering the Baisakhi Celebrations in Panja Sahib so beautifully. I am really impressed with the multimedia and historic articles which are presented without any bias.

@Tamil "Pakistani hospitality is truly commendable. My perception of your country has changed from what I was made to believe from our papers." Tusi remarkable ho ji. A truly great one. He forms and un-forms his opinion of a country/society only on the basis of what he reads in the newspapers. At least he is truthful.

Sat Sri Akal to all Sikh brothers and sisters. I hope you feel at home during your pilgrimage as Pakistani Punjab is full of your kith and kin. We love you with all our hearts and hope and pray that Punjab on both sides of the border bridges the gap between the two countries and brings us closer (Just as a family should be).

@surrinder gill ADVOCATE "Happy Greetings to all Punjabis on Visakhi. It is being celebirated in Punjab even before Sikh religion started. New crop comes to homes of farmers and a circle of economic cycle starts. As money in hand so marriages among Punjabis are fixed in summer. Though Sikhs have religious reasons to observe this day. But again sare hi Punjabia nu Visakhi di lakh lakh vidhai howe. Thanks to dawn for nice coverage." Indeed - Thank you Dawn for the exemplary coverage! Gill Sa'ab - what a great statement. This is the True Spirit of Vaisakhi. Sare hi Punjabia na Vaisakhi di lakh lakh vidhaian !

Has there any relation of this event with month "Vaisakh". Is this name after month's name ?

Thank you Pakistanis for welcoming your Indian neighbors. Sat Sri Akal!

Thanks for nice coverage. Respect all the religions, all the people , peace and prosperity will follow .

This definately proves there are some good people till today in pakistn,may there tribe increase.AMEN

@Shah Sorry india does not allow Pakistanis to visit indian Punjab.i was born in suhlar village of patiala state but could not visit my birth place.after performing the HAjj,this was the last wish of my life to see my birth place which could be met due to indian harsh policies towards Pakistanis.canthere be some help?

@sana Let's please be real. That's a bit of an overstatement. If you have a look at top Indian constitutional positions such as Prime Minister, Planning Commission Chairman, Finance Minister, Chief Election Commissioner, Chief of the Army Staff all these positions had Sikhs on it. Apart form it a lot of them holds top bureaucratic portfolios across India. The governor of the state of Tamil Nadu has been a Sikh. So please stop putting the guns on the Pakistani Sikh shoulders & vent your frustration or false sense of big heartedness that Sikhs enjoy top positions in Pakistan. Can you name any Central Ministers or anyone holding Constitutional posts. Please enlighten !!!!

@laxman There are some bad people, most of them are nice...this makes more sense.

@Bal K. Gupta - Its true as you say "Many people in India and USA do not know that over 30,000 Sikhs still live in Pakistan". There is another fact. 'Sikhs live in India, their religious sites are in Pakistan and their business is in Canada'.

Thanks lot Dawn for sharing these beautiful pictures.

I am simply awestruck seeing these images. I have never known until now that even such pilgrims exists in Pakistan. Why do we call Pakistan a Muslim nation? Its just like India where all the religions are practiced freely.

thanks for sharing these pictures and also I would like to appreciate the writer of this column who actually wrote "Vaisakhi" and not "Baisakhi" which is a wrong pronunciation and spelling. Its really emotional to see that in an islamic nation, sikh gurdwaras are still well preserved and maintained. Salute to the nationals of Pakistan.

Such Programme of Religious and cultural activities should be always support by Indians , Thanks Dawn ............and Pakistan

Congrats to our Sikh community Brothers on Baisakhi festival. Multicultural rituals reflects Pakistan plural society. Welcome and enjoy the pilgrimage.

@pakistani "Forgotten Atrocities: Memoirs of a Survivor of the 1947 Partition of India" is available on amazon.com and lulu.com.

@Honey Badger : but not when there was partition. Y are you anti India, when you yourself know u r not a Arab.

@pakistani there is a valid reason for this. partition affected north india, especially punjab state very severely. south india was not at all affected. hence the difference in the attitude towards partition

@jakoji Drop religion from your life and all these go away. Easy. You don't need to be a Muslim or a Hindu or a Sikh or a Christian to live a good moral life. Interestingly good moral life is what religion is supposed to teach when it in fact brings out the opposite in people. Go figure!! And I don't blame the guardians of religion for that because they cannot bring out the hate if it does not exist. Think.... But that is just a one man's opinion.

I grew up in Hassan Abdal but now reside in Islamabad. Baisakhi festival was eagerly awaited by us and we used to participate on it. This practice is still being carried out by our younger generation without any religious ill feelings. Baisakhi is a cultural festival and is celebetated as such.

A dedicated approach to celebration of Baisakhi at Panja Sahib.Tks to local administration for making it happen.

A big thanks will go to the Government and Administration of Pakistan for ensuring safety of this grand festival.

@Taimoor Khan Dream on! we haven't been tolerant even before creation. Years have gone by and miracles will not happen just because you wish it.

Thanks. very pleasing and heart warming to see the pictures.

WaheGuru!

@SinghIsKing Most Welcome please do come this Holy Place is yours and we have the deepest respect for Babajee

Happy Vasaakhi to all my Sikh elders, brothers, sisters and children. WAHEGURU

@Manas It is up to Pakistanis. Comparison is irrelevant. Enjoy the wonderful coverage of Baisakhi celebrations at Panja Sahib by DAWN.

Sona Sona!

Baisakhi is basically an ancient festival of our land and its people.It was formalized by Sikhs and their revered gurus, but then they too were from the same soil.Sikhs celebrate Baisakhi as their religious festival,that makes it more special.They will always be welcome to visit Panja Sahib.

Man that feels like India

What a great hospitality of the government and the loving people of Pakistan! The generous display of the colors of Vaisakhi and shared with theWorld by the famous DAWN is very commendable. The security arrangements are meticulous and all pakistani agencies are very caring and reverential to the holy occasion . Sikh pilgrims from all over have praise for years of the pleasant hospitality they received in Pakistan ... ONE SINGLE GOD and Universal brother/sister hood.

Respect to the Sikhs

@Rashid Sultan what non sense. We have hundred times better then our neighbourhood and middle east. Go outside Pakistan and figure yourself out.

@sana Yes, Pakistan has had a Sikh president and prime minister and many generals in the army. Oh, wait, that's India. Not to mention the fact that India has also had a Muslim president and multiple Muslim chief ministers.

Visaikhi Mubarak sare [punjabian noun. What memories this bring back of childhood before partition when all PUNJABIS without cast or creed or religion used to enjoy the festival. Thanks Dawn for such beautiful photos.

When was the name Punjab Sahib changed to Hasan Abdul? Don't recall when visited before partition?

@Manas They didn't publish my reply......anyways please search online you will find all the material you asked for

happy Baisakhi to all Sikhs of the world. we wish that more Sikhs and other communities come to pakistan.

@Manas No unfortunately they can't hopefully we can change that if Govt stays and power and is not taken over by our Military.

The procession was VERY BEAUTIFUL! I wish I were there!

nice to see this, please publish these pic in indian newspaper

Stop giving VISA to Indian nationals and compensate it with increasing VISA to Sikhs from other countries.

Good Relationship of Pakistan and Sikhs

Nice heart warming article with beautiful pictures! Reminded me of post Iftaar Ramazan in streets of Mumbai, Delhi and many more cities of India. Minorities add colours and hues to the landscape of a country, very well done Dawn, I salute!!

@sana why could say that....

@Taimoor Khan And no one to be criticized, restrained from their religious practices and should have equal opportunity to share/contribute in country's economy and politics, according to father of nation, Muhammad Ali Jinnah's aspirations.

A different view of Pakistan than what we see frequently. Liked it.

Welcome to Pakistan . . . .

good... Pakistan should maintain religious harmony in future too......

welcome and have fun !!

very nice photos Happy Baisakhi to my sikh brothers and sisters

@usman i overwhelmed with joy for your brotherhood for sikhs.........

Baba Guru Nanak was a great man who taught peace. Happy Baisakhi to all Sikh community. If am not wrong, there's a strong connection between his teachings and the teachings of our people like bulleh shah, baba farid, shah hussain, etc We r very happy to host you. Come again :)