PANAJI
The ongoing protest by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supporters, en route to Islamabad has delayed the departure of 85 Pakistani Goan pilgrims, who were supposed to leave their country on Thursday, to attend the decennial Exposition of the Relics of St Francis Xavier in Goa.
A group of 170 Pakistani Goans were expected to visit the ongoing decennial Exposition after the High Commissioner of India in Islamabad cleared their visas. However, due to the PTI protest, the High Commissioner’s Office was not in position to deliver the visas to the travellers, thus delaying their departure for now.
As reported earlier, while a first group of 85 pilgrims was supposed to leave Karachi for India on November 28, another 85 pilgrims are expected to leave for India on December 20 to celebrate Christmas and New Year in the coastal State.
Sources informed that the group of 85 could not leave the country in absence of visa. “The group has not got their visas so far due to the riots taking place in Islamabad. Their travel is expected to be delayed by a week. The situation needs to come under control,” sources said.
The group was supposed to leave Goa, after celebrating St Xavier’s feast on December 3.
The Karachi Goans are parishioners of various Churches in Karachi, including St Anthony’s Church, St Patrick’s Church, Our Lady of Fatima Church and St Lawrence’s Church.
The pilgrims had requested an invitation from the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman for the Exposition and attached this while submitting visa applications to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
The Exposition, commenced on November 21, will be a 45-day event culminating on January 5, next year.
With no direct flight from Karachi to Mumbai, some pilgrims are set to fly in via Dubai and some via Sri Lanka. The pilgrims have to shell out around Rs 2 lakh per person on airfare.
In 2014 too, a large group of around 400 pilgrims visited the State during the last Exposition. In 2004 too, nearly 300 Pakistani Goans had venerated the Relics during the Exposition.
