India rejects visas of 500 Pak devotees wanting to travel to Ajmer Sharif

India has refused to grant visas to around 500 Pakistani devotees intending to travel to Ajmer Sharif, Pakistan's Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri said on Monday. The minister said five hundred Pakistani devotees were to leave for the neighbouring country on Thursday India has denied visa to them, according to Radio Pakistan.

Qadri said said the Ministry has sent an intimation to all the devotees via SMS after it received information of cancellation from the Indian embassy. The Indian embassy is yet to return the passports of these devotees, he said.

Qadri said Pakistan has granted visas to 5,600 Sikh pilgrims during a year, while visas were also granted to 312 Hindu devotees, reported Radio Pakistan.

(With inputs from agencies.)