Is Pakistan safe for Sikhs to visit in 2023?

This is one of the most common questions we get! Eight to ten thousand Sikhs have been visiting Pakistan each year for the last twenty years both from India and from the diaspora. At no point during this time have Sikh visitors or Gurdwaras been harmed. Around 4000 Sikhs visited Pakistan for Gurpurab in November 2023! Pakistan gets about overall 1 million international visitors each year.

However, its true that bombings and attacks in cities in Pakistan were frequent from 2008 to 2014. Since 2014, the security situation in Pakistan’s mainland has significantly improved. Pakistan is a large country and there are some remaining conflicts between security forces and insurgent groups but these are concentrated in the mountainous regions along the Afghan border, which are very far from where our guests will be visiting.

Our itineraries are in Pakistan’s safest regions in Punjab and the Islamabad Capital Territory, where street crime is actually lower than most Western countries. We take regular feedback from all our visitors, and none report feeling unsafe in the country. Pakistanis have warm feelings towards the overseas Punjabi community and our guests report feeling welcomed and loved by the locals they encounter. Our assessment is that Pakistan is safe to visit.