ROORKEE: Amid tight security, a group of 107 Pakistani nationals, accompanied by two officials from the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi, arrived here by train on Tuesday to participate in the 755th Urs of Sabir Baba, a revered Sufi saint of the Chisti order, known as Alauddin Ali Ahmed Sabir Kaliyari.
The visitors, who travelled by the Amritsar-Dehradun (Lahori) express, were greeted with a warm reception by a delegation from the local administration, including senior police officials and prominent community members.
"All 107 pilgrims from Pakistan and 2 Pakistani officials have been accommodated at Sabri Guest House," said Afzal Manglori, a noted Urdu poet and member of the Zaireens Welcoming Committee.
After a four-year hiatus, 150 Pakistani pilgrims visited Piran Kaliyar last year to participate in the Urs. They will stay for six days at the shrine premises. The Urs started at Piran Kaliyar last Friday and will be held for 15 days.
"All pilgrims would return to their homeland via the same Lahori express train on the evening of October 1," Aruna Bharti, the Superintendent of Police for the Government Railway Police, said.
