ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reopened the Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims ahead of the 557th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, a move that Sikh leaders say stands in stark contrast to India's suspension of pilgrim traffic since May 2025.
The Pakistani government announced on Sept. 17, 2026, that it would open the corridor under what officials described as a policy of religious goodwill, and said all arrangements for the religious rituals had been completed ahead of the festival.
The corridor links the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Punjab state to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, spent the final years of his life.
India suspended the movement of Sikh pilgrims through the corridor in May 2025, citing what it called a false-flag incident in Pahalgam. New Delhi has not restored pilgrim traffic since.
The Sikh community has repeatedly called on India to reopen the corridor so pilgrims can perform religious rituals and visit holy sites in Pakistan. On Oct. 27, 2026, the Punjab Assembly in India passed a resolution urging the corridor's reopening.
Indian Sikh pilgrims praised Pakistan's decision, saying it demonstrated religious tolerance and a commitment to peace.
"The Pakistani government and people's love, sincerity and friendly attitude are the best manifestation of interfaith harmony," pilgrims said.
Pakistan's reopening of the corridor comes as a contrast to India's continued suspension, with Sikh leaders pointing to the move as an example of religious coexistence in the region.
