Pakistani Sikh Leaders Urge India to Allow Pilgrims for Guru Nanak’s Death Anniversary at Kartarpur
Pakistani Sikh leaders, along with the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), have appealed to the Indian government to allow Sikh pilgrims from India to travel to Pakistan for the upcoming commemorative event marking the death anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The event is scheduled to be held on September 22 at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
Call for Lifting Travel Restrictions
Following the Pahalgam terror attack in April, India had closed the Attari-Wagah border, suspending cross-border movement. As a result, Sikh devotees from India have been unable to visit their holy sites in Pakistan.
ETPB spokesperson Ghulam Mohyuddin said that the board’s doors remain open for Sikh pilgrims and urged the Indian government to reconsider the current restrictions.
“Our doors remain open for Sikh pilgrims,” Mohyuddin told PTI, emphasizing that the Kartarpur Sahib event is a significant spiritual occasion for the Sikh community.
Sikh Leadership Echoes the Appeal
Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, President of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and a minister in Punjab’s provincial government, also urged India to permit Sikh devotees to participate in the ceremony. Mahesh Singh, Vice President of the PSGPC, echoed this demand, stressing the religious importance of the event and the deep emotional connection Sikh devotees have with Kartarpur Sahib.
About the Kartarpur Corridor
The Kartarpur Corridor was inaugurated in November 2019 as a visa-free passage linking Dera Baba Nanak in India’s Gurdaspur district with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, located just 4.1 km from the border. This corridor allows Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, where Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, spent his final years and passed away in the early 16th century.
A Spiritual Bridge Awaiting Reopening
The call from Pakistani Sikh leaders highlights the corridor’s role as a symbol of peace and religious harmony between the two countries. They hope that, despite current security concerns, the Indian government will allow pilgrims to make the sacred journey for this significant occasion.
