Ziaraat to India for Pakistani Pilgrims: Six Urs, 1,500 Places and How the Ministry Selects Zaireen

Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs arranges visits for Pakistani pilgrims to India on six Urs, the annual death anniversaries of Muslim saints, with 1,500 places in all. The ministry's page says the process is: a press release, applications, a ballot if needed, security clearance from the Ministry of Interior, then passports go to the Indian High Commission for visas.

We read the Ziaraat India page of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony on 22 October 2026. It describes a scheme under a 1974 agreement between the two governments. Its schedule table lists visits only up to April 2026, so we do not know whether the next visits will go ahead.

The scheme runs under a 1974 agreement between Pakistan and India

The ministry says Pakistan signed a memorandum with India on 14 September 1974 on planned visits by people of both countries to religious and sacred places. Since then the ministry has regularly arranged visits by Pakistani Zaireen, the word for pilgrims, to India on named Urs.

The page does not describe the Indian side's process, and it does not promise that visits will take place every year. The ministry can only send pilgrims if India grants visas. Treat the scheme as available only when the ministry announces a round.

Six Urs make up 1,500 places

The ministry's table lists six Urs: Sirhind Sharif, Kalyar Sharif, Agra, Delhi for Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Ajmer Sharif and Delhi for Hazrat Amir Khusro. The number of Zaireen set for each ranges from 150 to 500, and the six add up to 1,500.

The dates above are the ones in the page's table. The ministry's home page separately lists the Urs of Hazrat Amir Khusro in Delhi from 22 to 29 March 2027 under upcoming events. We found no application notice for it.

The ministry follows five steps for each Urs

For each Urs the ministry issues a press release, invites applications and fixes a last date, holds a ballot if there are more applicants than places, gets security clearance from the Ministry of Interior, and then collects passports to send to the Indian High Commission for visas.

A ballot is a draw of names. The page says it is held only if required. Nothing on the page says how many people apply, what the ballot rules are, or how long the High Commission takes. We cannot give a cost either, because the page lists none.

1. Wait for the ministry's press release for the Urs you want to attend.
2. Apply before the last date, using the form on the ministry's website.
3. Take part in the ballot if the ministry holds one.
4. Give your passport to the ministry when asked, for security clearance and the visa.
5. Follow the ministry's instructions for travel once the visa is issued.

Get your passport in order before the notice appears

Because passports are collected by the ministry, yours must be valid and in good condition when the round opens. The Indian visa is processed on the passport you hand in. If it is close to expiry, renew it before expiry and see the steps for applying for a passport.

The advice to renew early is ours. The ministry's page does not set a validity rule. Check that rule with the ministry when a round is announced. If you plan any other foreign trip, our guide to checking a foreign visa before you fly covers what the FIA looks at.

More sites are only a proposal

The page says the Foreign Office shared an Indian proposal to add more religious sites. In reply, the ministry proposed 16 new sites and asked to at least double the number of Zaireen from 1,500 to 3,000. It does not say India has agreed.

So the six Urs and 1,500 places are what the page shows as the current arrangement. The reverse journey, for Sikh and other pilgrims coming to Pakistan, is covered in the guide to the Pakistan religious visa.

Common questions

How many Pakistani pilgrims can visit India under the scheme?

The ministry's table gives 1,500 places across six Urs, from 150 to 500 for each Urs.

Who organises the visits?

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, through its Ziarat section.

Can I apply on my own for an Indian visa for Ziarat?

The page describes only the ministry's group process, in which it sends passports to the Indian High Commission. It describes no individual route.

Is there a ballot?

Yes, if required. The page says a ballot is held to select Zaireen when there are more applicants than places.

When is the next round?

We do not know. The schedule table ends in April 2026. The ministry's home page lists an Amir Khusro Urs in Delhi for 22 to 29 March 2027, but we found no application notice.

Does the scheme cost money?

The page gives no fee. Ask the ministry when a round is announced.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 22 October 2026. The 1974 agreement, the six Urs, the numbers, the dates in the table, the process steps and the proposal come from the Ziaraat India page of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The March 2027 event comes from the ministry's home page. We read both on 22 October 2026. We could not verify the next application date, the fee, the Indian visa timing, or whether India has accepted the proposal.