Kartarpur Corridor Closed After Indian Airstrikes on Terror Camps in Pakistan

The Kartarpur Corridor, a sacred visa-free passage for Sikh pilgrims between India and Pakistan, was closed on Wednesday following Indian military strikes targeting terror camps across the border. The suspension comes amid rising diplomatic tensions after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

The shutdown was confirmed by Sohail Qasim Mir, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Batala. Around 500 pilgrims had registered to travel to Kartarpur Sahib today. Of them, nearly 100 had arrived this morning, but they were turned back and advised to return home.”

The corridor’s suspension follows a series of stringent measures taken by India in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed multiple lives. In retaliation, India launched targeted military operations against terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan, prompting fresh tensions in the already fragile Indo-Pak relationship.

In the aftermath, India’s Ministry of External Affairs introduced restrictions that included shutting down the Attari-Wagah border for regular cross-border traffic and ordering Pakistani nationals on the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme to leave India. Despite these actions, the Kartarpur Corridor had initially remained open—until now.

Inaugurated on November 9, 2019, to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji—the founder of Sikhism—the Kartarpur Corridor symbolizes a rare gesture of religious diplomacy between the two nations. The corridor allows Indian Sikh pilgrims and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders to visit the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, without requiring a visa.

The shrine holds deep religious significance as it marks the final resting place of Guru Nanak, who spent his last 18 years in Kartarpur before passing away there in 1539.

The 4.7-km corridor connects Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak in India’s Gurdaspur district with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib across the border in Pakistan. The route is designed for up to 5,000 pilgrims per day, although daily footfall typically averages around 400 visitors.

While there is no official statement on the duration of the corridor’s closure, the situation is being closely monitored by both Indian and Pakistani authorities.