ISLAMABAD: A five-year extension of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Agreement was announced by Pakistan and India on Tuesday, guaranteeing Sikh pilgrims’ continuous access to the hallowed Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs both made the announcement in separate statements from New Delhi and Islamabad.
On October 24, 2019, a five-year corridor deal was first inked. As a result, the corridor will be able to continue operations after its initial expiration date of October 24, 2024. The corridor, which links the Gurdwara in Kartarpur, Pakistan, with Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab, India, was inaugurated on November 9, 2019.
Up to 5,000 pilgrims can enter the shrine each day without a visa from sunrise to sunset, according to the agreement governing the usage of the passageway, however they must have a passport. However, they are not permitted to spend the night there.
With the exception of days when both governments agree to close it, the corridor is open all year round. According to the agreement, pilgrims must pay $20 per person in service fees in order to use the corridor.
In a statement, FO stated, “Its renewal highlights Pakistan’s enduring commitment to fostering interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence.” It emphasized that thousands of Sikh pilgrims from India have benefited from visa-free travel to the Sikh holy site where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, spent his last days since the corridor’s creation.
The creation of the corridor, which UN Secretary-General António Guterres called a “Corridor of Hope,” is viewed as a realization of the Sikh community’s long-standing goals.
The FO reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to safeguarding religious minorities’ rights and granting them access to holy sites.
The agreement was renewed through diplomatic procedures, according to a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs. It expressed happiness that the extension will guarantee the corridor’s “uninterrupted operation” for Indian pilgrims who come to visit the gurdwara.
It’s interesting to note that India objected to Pakistan’s $20 service fee per pilgrim. The ministry stated, “India has once again urged Pakistan to not levy any fee or charges on the pilgrims in view of the continued requests of pilgrims regarding the removal of USD 20 service charge levied by Pakistan per pilgrim per visit.”
S. Jaishankar, the Indian Minister of External Affairs, reiterated the Indian government’s dedication to granting the Sikh community access in his remarks on the extension on X (previously Twitter).
Jaishankar wrote, “The government of PM @narendramodi will continue to make it easier for our Sikh community to visit their sacred sites.”
