Pro-Palestine group fails to get permission to cross Wagah

New Delhi, Dec 3 (PTI) A group of pro-Palestine Indian
activists, who began their road journey to Gaza via Pakistan
from here Thursday, has not received permission to cross
into Wagah from the Indian side.
34 of the 51-member group, which includes some
journalists, were given Pakistani visa Thursday to go up to
Lahore by crossing the Wagah land border tomorrow morning
after reluctance.
The Indian contingent, which left the national capital
Thursday with the hope of travelling till Lahore by road,
were upset as they failed to get the necessary permission from
the MEA.
"We were hoping to get the permission. But we have not
got any written letter from the MEA. We applied a month back,"
Biraj Patnaik, one of the participants, told PTI.
He said the contingent will reach Attari and stage a
dharna there protest against the "denial of permission" by the
MEA.
"We have decided to go till the border and launch a
sit-in protest there. Why is the Indian Government not letting
us to got Pakistan even as the Pakistan Government has granted
visa to visit Lahore," he asked.
Originally, the activists were scheduled to travel by
road through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon
and Egypt before entering Gaza with medical aid.
But, the Indian contingent was allowed by the Pakistan
Government to travel to Lahore, from where the members will
take a flight to Iran to continue their road journey to reach
Gaza on December 28. PTI