Buddhist monks on peace mission stopped from entering Pak from Rajasthan border

Thirteen Buddhist monks on a global peace mission From Thailand to France had to return from Barmer after they were not allowed to undertake further journey to neighbouring Pakistan through Rajasthan's Munabao border.

According to a police official, they were stopped from entering the area restricted for foreigners in Barmer, over 100 kilometres away from the Indo-Pakistan border.

Now, they will go to the Attari-Wagah border crossing for their further journey into Pakistan, a police official said.

The monks have a valid visa for India and Pakistan.

Their leader said they were carrying the message of global peace and will be covering nearly 9,000 km from Thailand to France in this mission.

"A group of monks is on a peace journey and will go to Pakistan from India. There was no clarity over their route. Since they cannot cross the border from here, they were asked to go to the Wagah border," Barmer Circle Officer Vijay Singh said on Tuesday.

He informed that the monks have left for Jodhpur and will now go to the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab's Amritsar.