The Indian government has decided to temporarily close the Kartarpur Corridor to Sikh pilgrims, citing security concerns amid India-Pakistan tensions.
The decision comes as a blow to the thousands of Sikh devotees who regularly visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur, a revered site for the Sikh community.
Indian authorities confirmed that the corridor, which had allowed visa-free access for Indian pilgrims to the historic gurdwara since its reopening in 2019, will remain closed until further notice. The closure was announced abruptly, with no specific timeframe provided for its reopening.
The Kartarpur Corridor, a landmark agreement between India and Pakistan, was established to facilitate the pilgrimage of Sikh devotees to the gurdwara, where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, spent the last years of his life.
The corridor, stretching from Dera Baba Nanak in India to Kartarpur in Pakistan, had been hailed as a significant step toward fostering religious harmony between the two neighboring countries.
Sikh organizations and religious leaders have expressed disappointment over the closure, calling it a setback for Sikh pilgrims who had long-awaited the opportunity to visit the holy site. The development comes amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, with both sides engaging in sporadic military confrontations along the Line of Control (LoC).
