06112026-ATR-01.qxd 11/5/2026 10:47 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY AHEAD OF POLL, AAP FACES HEAT OVER DRUG MENACE AUDIENCES HAIL RAMAYANA AS A ‘VISUAL MASTERPIECE’ THE LURE OF THE MARKET OR THE CONVENIENCE OF A CLICK With the election season in full swing, the ruling AAP is facing questions over drug menace. P2 Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious retelling of the Ramayana opened in cinemas worldwide on November 5. P3 MAX 29°C | MIN 15°C YESTERDAY MAX 29°C | MIN 15°C From gold jewellery to festive wardrobes, here's how celebs like to shop during Dhanteras. P3 » » SUNSET FRIDAY 5.37 PM SUNRISE SATURDAY 6:51 AM » FRIDAY | 6 NOVEMBER 2026 | AMRITSAR First time since Op Sindoor, Pak Sikh jatha returns home via Wagah Pakistanis cherish ‘darshan’ of Sri Hemkund Sahib, Golden Temple as MHA opens land border gates for 49 devotees in a special gesture GS Paul PILGRIMAGE UNITES FAMILIES SEPARATED BY BORDERS Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 5 For 49 Pakistani Sikh devotees, a month-long pilgrimage to India ended on an emotional note on Thursday as the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) granted special permission for them to return home through the Attari-Wagah land route, a rare concession that transformed a journey marked by uncertainty into one filled with gratitude, faith and lasting memories. The Attari-Wagah crossing has remained closed to general and short-term travellers since May 1, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. Currently, only organised religious pilgrimages under the 1974 Indo-Pak Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines are permitted on notified occasions. Against this backdrop, the opening of the gates for the devotees was viewed as an extraordinary humanitarian and religious gesture. According to Paramjit Singh Chandok, Chief Adviser (International Affairs) to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), the committee approached the MHA through the Foreign ■ The Attari-Wagah crossing has FROM FACING THE HURDLE OF BOARDING THE FLIGHT TO FINALLY GETTING TO VISIT THE SHRINE, JATHA SHARES TEETHING TROUBLES cAtfirst,wewerenotsureifwe cThough our native place is best cWe had heard that nowhere would be able to visit Sri Hemkund Sahib. But then special security arrangements were made to take us there. d known for apparel textile and footwear, we made it a point to buy jewellery and textile from Amritsar and Delhi as souvenirs. — Papinder Singh, JATHA LEADER Registration Officer-cumDCP Special Branch, New , Delhi, seeking permission for the devotees to return via the Joint Check Post at Attari-Wagah. The pilgrimage had faced hurdles from the very beginning. In September, several pilgrims had reportedly d in the world are kulchas as tasty as in Amritsar. After savouring the flavourful delight , I can say it is absolutely true. — Kartar Kour and Agiya Kour been stopped from boarding a flight from Faisalabad because of issues related to travel documentation and return tickets. Fresh tickets had to be purchased before the journey could finally take shape. “We were disappointed when we were not allowed to board the flight initially. Then came uncertainty over whether we would be able to visit Sri Hemkund Sahib because of time and weather constraints. But we were taken to Sri Hemkund Sahib under special security arrangements,” recalled jatha leader Papinder Singh. Three Thai nationals overstay visa, deported Pawan K Jaiswar Tribune News Service Vendors encroach upon roadsides in Amritsar on Thursday. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR Spike in traffic bottlenecks amid festivities; 41 hotspots identified Charanjit Singh Teja Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 5 The city has witnessed a spike intraffic bottlenecks amid festivities, with encroachments by shopkeepers and street vendors inconveniencing commuters and pedestrians alike. A detailed list prepared by the Commissioner of Police office has identified 41 locations across three zones where encroachments are affecting the smooth vehicular movement. These locations include busy commercial stretches, markets, roads leading to religious places and areas seeing heavy pedestrian movement. The exercise highlights how the occupation of footpaths and roadside spaces by vendors and shopkeepers forces pedestrians onto carriageways, further narrowing the already congested roads. The problem is particularly acute in the walled city and around major commercial hubs, where commuters and pedestrians jostle for space. Zone 1 covers prominent areas around the Golden Temple, including the Heritage Walk, Brahm Buta Market, Baba Attal Road, Jallianwala Bagh and Katra Sher Singh. Other identified locations include the Telephone Busy markets, footpaths, roadsides on list Exchange area, vegetable market and busy commercial stretches. Zone 2 covers several congested stretches around the railway station link roads, Putlighar, Ranjit Avenue-side markets and other commercial areas. Zone 3 includes busy market roads and stretches, where roadside encroachments obstruct the movement of vehicles and pedestrians. The communication points out that unauthorised occupation of roads and footpaths by vendors and shopkeepers creates traffic bottlenecks, particularly during the peak hours. It calls for the removal of encroachments to ensure smoother traffic movement, which will also put an end to the inconvenience faced by pedestrians. The identification of these locations brings the focus back on the city’s persistent encroachment problem. Despite periodic antiencroachment drives, roadside vending and the extension of shops onto public spaces continue to reduce the usable road width. The challenge now lies in ensuring sustained enforcement rather than conductingsporadic removal drives.Municipal Corporation Estate Officer Sushant Bhatia said they had initiated the drive, focusing on the bottlenecks. No encroachment would be tolerated, he added. Amritsar, November 5 Three Thai nationals, who were found staying in India after the expiry of their visas, have been deported following a joint inspection by the Amritsar Commissionerate Police and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). The action follows an inspection of a residential building in Partap Nagar on GT Road, where five foreign nationals were found staying. Verification of their travel documents revealed that three of them had overstayed their visas and were residing in India in violation of the immigration rules. After completing the legal formalities, the three Thai nationals were deported to Thailand. F urther investigation revealed that the residential premises had not been registered on the mandatory Form-III portal for accommodating foreign nationals. The owner had also allegedly failed to submit the prescribed details of foreign guests to the concerned authorities. Takingnote of the violations, the police registered an FIR under Section 23 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, at the BDivision police station against the owner, Narinder Kaur, for providing accommodation to the foreign nationals without fulfilling the requisite norms. Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill said the joint operation aimed at ensuring compliance with immigration regulations and monitoring the stay of foreign nationals in the city. The Amritsar Commissionerate Police and the FRRO have urged hotel owners, guest house operators, paying guest accommodation providers, homestay operators and private property owners to strictly comply with mandatory registration and reporting requirements under the Form-III portal. c m y b d cThe land route made our journey far more economical. We have surrendered our return air tickets and hope to receive refunds. — Dalwinder Singh The visit’s defining moment was the pilgrimage of nearly 40 devotees to Gurdwara Sri Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand, just days before the shrine closed for winter. For many, fulfilling this spiritual aspiration felt nothing short of divine grace. “We got another surprise remained closed to general and short-term travellers since May 1, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. ■ Currently, only organised religious pilgrimages under the 1974 Indo-Pak Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines are permitted on notified occasions. ■ Against this backdrop, the opening of the gates for the devotees was viewed as an extraordinary humanitarian and religious gesture. ■ Beyond the religious significance, the visit also became a reunion of families separated by borders. Several devotees met relatives living in India, turning the pilgrimage into an emotional homecoming of sorts. d — Harjeet Singh, ANOTHER GROUP LEADER when the Attari gates were opened for us. We are thankful to both governments and especially the DSGMC for making this possible,” he said. Beyond the religious significance, the visit also became a reunion of families separated by borders. Several devotees met relatives living in << A 49-member Pakistan Sikh jatha returns home through the Attari-Wagah land route in Amritsar on Thursday. PHOTOS: VISHAL KUMAR India, turning the pilgrimage into an emotional homecoming of sorts. For Pritam Singh and Sarbat Singh, former chairman of the Dharam Parchar Committee of the Pakistan Sikh body, participating in the celebrations of Guru Ram Das Ji’s Parkash Purab at Sri Harmandir Sahib was among the most memorable experiences. Kartar Kour and Agiya Kour said, “Though our native place is best known for apparel material and footwear, we still bought traditional dress material and jewellery from Amritsar and Delhi as souvenirs. Every moment spent here will stay with us.” Summing up a lighter side of the trip, Dalwinder Singh said, “We had heard that nowhere in the world are kulchas as tasty as in Amritsar. After savouring the flavourful delight , I can say it is absolutely true.” Another group leader, Harjeet Singh, said returning through Attari-Wagah eased the financial burden on many families. “The land route has made our journey far more economical. We have surrendered our return air tickets and hope to receive refunds.” Chandok said efforts were underway to help them secure refunds for the unused return tickets. During their stay, the pilgrims visited several historic Sikh shrines, including Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, Rakab Ganj Sahib and Sis Ganj Sahib in Delhi, besides Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib and Sri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar.