Sikh jathas continue under bilateral protocol; Kartarpur Corridor remains suspended: India

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday said Sikh jathas have continued to visit religious sites in Pakistan under the existing bilateral protocol, even as the Kartarpur Corridor remains closed due to the prevailing security situation.

The statement came in response to a high-level Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) delegation’s meeting with Pakistan High Commission officials in New Delhi. The delegation, led by SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami, sought visas for more than 7,500 Sikh pilgrims wishing to travel to Pakistan for the Parkash Gurpurab of Guru Nanak Dev at Nankana Sahib and other historic gurdwaras.

Speaking to reporters, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said there is an annual bilateral arrangement under which Sikh jathas visit pilgrimage sites in Pakistan. On the Kartarpur Corridor, he reiterated that services of the Shri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor were suspended with effect from May 7, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack. “Given the extant security situation, which continues to be the case, these Kartarpur Sahib Corridor services continue to remain suspended,” Jaiswal said.

SGPC officials noted that the usual quota for the Guru Nanak Gurpurab jatha is around 1,800 visas. They urged the Pakistan High Commission to issue visas beyond the prescribed limit in view of the large number of applications received and the strong religious sentiments of devotees. The surge in demand has been linked in part to the prolonged closure of the visa-free Kartarpur Corridor and restricted private pilgrimage groups.

The corridor, which connects Dera Baba Nanak in India’s Punjab with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, has remained shut since May 2025. The Indian government has acknowledged representations from Sikh organisations seeking its reopening but has maintained that the security environment does not currently permit resumption of services.

Organised Sikh pilgrimages under the 1974 India-Pakistan Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines continue to take place with government clearances and security vetting.