Violating the Pilgrims Protocol, India refused to issue visas to Pakistani devotees for visiting Ajmer Sharif at the eleventh hour, 24News HD TV Channel reported on Wednesday.

Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri said in a statement that the refusal of visas was a violation of pilgrims’ protocol so Pakistan would raise the matter at the Foreign Ministry level.

He said the Pakistani pilgrims were to leave for India on February 3 to participate in the annual Urs rituals of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti Ajmeri.

The federal minister said that initially the Indian embassy had asked Pakistanis to be ready for departure on Urs but refused to issue visas on time.

Qadri said the religious sentiments of Muslims seeking to visit the holy shrine of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti have been hurt.

He said that Pakistan has always issued visas to Indian Hindu and Sikh pilgrims to promote inter-faith harmony.