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Hindustan Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Kartarpur Corridor shut from India's side indefinitely, Pak keeps doors open
Following escalating border tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, India has closed its side of the Kartarpur Corridor — the only active surface-level link between the two countries — indefinitely. The Union ministry of home affairs' bureau of immigration announced the closure of the corridor 'till further orders'. The closure has halted the pilgrimage of Indian Sikh devotees to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Narowal district, Pakistan, while Pakistan continues to keep the corridor open on its side. On Wednesday morning, around 150 Sikh pilgrims who had arrived at the Dera Baba Nanak integrated check post in Gurdaspur district were turned back after waiting for over 90 minutes. In contrast, Pakistan has maintained that the Kartarpur Corridor remains open on its end. Ramesh Singh Arora, president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and a former MLA, appointed as ambassador for the corridor, said, 'The corridor is open from our side. It is a conscious decision of our government to continue welcoming the pilgrims.' He added that the corridor was a symbol of peace, brotherhood and harmony propagated by Guru Nanak Dev. 'On Tuesday, we received about 200 pilgrims from India and suddenly, the next day, the arrival was zero. When we checked, we were told that India had stopped pilgrims from going to Kartarpur Corridor. Despite the corridor's close down from India's side, the Pakistan government has decided to keep it open as a goodwill gesture,' Arora told HT over WhatsApp. He added that PSGPC had also started the process for facilitating pilgrimage visas to Indian pilgrims for June to mark the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev. The corridor, inaugurated jointly by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on November 9, 2019, fulfilled a long-standing demand of the Sikh community to access one of their holiest shrines without a visa. Under the bilateral agreement, Indian devotees have visa-free, dawn-to-dusk access to the shrine, which has turned out be a meeting point of people from Indian and Pakistan Punjabs, divided since the Partition of 1947. The 4.7-km passage connects Dera Baba Nanak Sahib in India's Gurdaspur and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur, believed to be the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev. Despite its brief closure during the Covid-19 pandemic after just four months of inauguration, the corridor was reopened on November 17, 2021, and both countries renewed the agreement for another five years in 2024.
Hans India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
India shuts Kartarpur Corridor
Chandigarh: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday announced the closure of the Kartarpur Corridor 'till further orders' after India struck nine terrorist infrastructure sites in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack, under code name 'Operation Sindoor'. Punjab's Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh told the media that the corridor will be shut for the day. He said the district administration had not received any orders from the government for the coming days. Nearly 150 Indian pilgrims arrived at the Integrated Check Post (ICP) for the pilgrimage to the historic Sri Darbar Sahib gurdwara in Narowal district of Pakistan, but were later asked to return home. The ICP at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district facilitates access to the Kartarpur Corridor. 'Immigration and defence officials told us that the situation is not conducive and advised us to return around 11 a.m.,' one of the pilgrims told the media. The gurdwara is of immense spiritual significance to Sikhs, as Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh guru, spent the last 18 years of his life there and passed away at the site.
Hindustan Times
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
The top of the tree response to crises
In the present day and age, human beings have been displaying so much variety in their mindset that it is safe to presume that we have somewhat evolved. One of the major differentiators of a society's progress is the ability to think originally, with creativity and hopefully with empathy too. Any and every crisis that our nation faces, howsoever gruesome or painful it may be, actually represents an opportunity for our leadership to show its true mettle. It also provides you and me, common citizens, with a chance to prove how level-headed and equanimous we can be, even in the face of terrible times. Yet, how facile it is to slide down the mega winding slide of cynicism and doubtfulness! Swimming upstream is not everybody's cup of tea, but when the chips are down, and when everyone around us seems to be full of venom and vile, some of us have to go against the tide. And if highly intellectual, experienced, responsible individuals do not do so, then why expect the rest of humanity to rise to each challenge? There's a saying attributed to the revered Guru Nanak Dev which basically means that we should agree with others (when the cause is noble). This sense of agreement with another and indeed willingness to not allow the ego to interfere with better sense is a sign of inner victories that are essentially intangible. But to spiral downward and hurtle towards lowly thoughts and reckless speech (or texts) against others is not a victory in any form. Present day citizens of India must appreciate and understand the spirit behind the teachings of its great saints like Guru Nanak. Paramhansa Yoganananda, author of 'Autobiography of a Yogi', strongly emphasised the fact that humankind has much opportunity in life to take decisions as per dynamic challenging situations that confront us. And the use of right thinking, discerning, will power is what human beings must prioritise. Thus, to vent anger against a particular community or nation is not the sign of a healthy collective mindset. All nations must display foresight and understanding before exercising violent or even aggressive options. But for that, leaders have to raise the levels of their own consciousness and be statesmanlike in their demeanour and mindset. Sadly, there is no figment of such level headedness in evidence upon today's global firmament. A large-hearted response is expected of mature individuals in personal confrontations as well. But the top of the tree approach is rarely visible even among those donning positions in the top echelons of the proverbial ladder. Relationships break down on the slightest of pretexts at times but a saner, more reasoned thought process might avert many such diabolical debacles. In the present day context, it is worthwhile to refrain from forwarding unsubstantiated and potentially inflammatory posts. The unthinking 'straight forward' type of guy, who has been highlighted in these columns before is the one to watch out for. An hour or so later, some sensible group member will point out that a post which has already been forwarded many times was actually a deep fake post. The damage has been done by then, almost irrevocably. Heads of communities, of institutions, and even of families, are almost as much saddled with the onus of remaining balanced, as are leaders of nations. With the bizarre brigade running riot on social and anti-social media channels, my vote is with a calming influencer than with one who is prone to running amok. Let's endeavour to be saner , cooler, calmer voices, even in times of strife.
New Indian Express
25-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Kartarpur corridor remains open amid rising India-Pakistan tensions, but pilgrim numbers dip
CHANDIGARH: Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists, the Kartarpur corridor remains open, though the number of Sikh pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, has reportedly declined. This comes even as the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari on the Indo-Pak border in Amritsar stands shut. The ICP at Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur district, which facilitates access to the Kartarpur corridor, continues to operate, allowing pilgrims to cross over. Sources in the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) confirmed that around 250 pilgrims travelled to Kartarpur on Wednesday to pay obeisance at the gurdwara and returned the same evening, as per the corridor's day-return policy. Devotees continued their visit on Thursday as well, with a group of about two dozen from Machhiwara near Ludhiana and another 50 from various places crossing the border in the morning. However, the Union government has yet to clarify whether the corridor will remain open or face closure like the ICP at Attari. The shrine is of immense spiritual significance to Sikhs, as Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh guru, spent the last 18 years of his life there and passed away at the site. The fully air-conditioned terminal near Dera Baba Nanak features over 50 immigration counters. According to LPAI records, 10,025 devotees visited the gurdwara via the corridor in 2021, with the number rising to 86,097 in 2022 and 96,555 in 2023. Inaugurated on 9 November 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the corridor is a visa-free border crossing that allows Indian citizens and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cardholders to visit the gurdwara, located 4.7 km from the India-Pakistan border, without requiring a visa. The corridor was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened after a gap of one and a half years in November 2021. As per the bilateral agreement, up to 5,000 pilgrims are allowed to use the corridor daily, but actual footfall remains low, averaging 200 to 400 visitors per day. Pilgrims must register online at least a week in advance with their passport details to receive an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Police verification is carried out prior to the issuance of ETA. In October 2023, both nations extended the corridor agreement for five more years until 2029, committing to uninterrupted access despite deteriorating diplomatic relations. Interestingly, Pakistan charges a USD 20 fee per pilgrim at its ICP, generating substantial revenue from the visiting devotees. 'In view of the continued requests of pilgrims regarding the removal of USD 20 service charge levied by Pakistan per pilgrim per visit, India has once again urged Pakistan to not levy any fee or charges on the pilgrims,' read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs last year. Several Sikh delegations have also urged the Indian government to press Pakistan for a waiver. Last year, Pakistan completed the 420-metre-long bridge at the Kartarpur Corridor zero line after a delay of two and a half years. Earlier, incidents of flooding had disrupted pilgrim movement to Kartarpur Sahib.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Sikh pilgrims allowed to enter Pakistan from Dera Baba Nanak ICP as India closes Attari border after Pahalgam attack
GURDASPUR: Even as India imposed tough measures against Pakistan following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack—including the closure of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at the Attari international border—the ICP at Dera Baba Nanak remains operational, allowing Sikh pilgrims to continue visiting Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. Officials from the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) confirmed that around 250 pilgrims crossed over to Pakistan through the Kartarpur Corridor on Thursday to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib . All of them are expected to return the same evening. The shrine holds special significance for the Sikh community, as Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh master, spent the last 18 years of his life there. Meanwhile, scores of Pakistani nationals have gathered at the Attari border in an effort to return home, following India's directive mandating all Pakistani citizens with valid travel documents to leave the country by May 1, 2025. Several of them expressed disappointment over the decision, citing disrupted travel plans and the need to cut short their visits.
