New Delhi: Amid renewed demands for reopening the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and increasing the visa quota for Sikh pilgrims, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has clarified that corridor services will remain suspended for now in view of the prevailing security situation.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said pilgrim travel between India and Pakistan would continue under the existing bilateral agreements.
The clarification came after a meeting between the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires Saad Ahmad Warraich. A delegation led by SGPC president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami met the Pakistani diplomat in Delhi and sought visas for more than 7,500 Sikh pilgrims for the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in November 2026.
The usual quota is around 1,800 visas, according to the information provided.
Corridor suspended since May 2025
On the Kartarpur Corridor, Jaiswal said services were suspended on May 7, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack and continued security concerns.
He said the decision to keep the corridor suspended remains in place given the current security situation.
The SGPC, meanwhile, has urged the Centre to consider the sentiments of Sikh devotees and restore the Kartarpur Corridor at the earliest.
The issue of increasing the pilgrim visa quota is also expected to remain a key demand ahead of the November celebrations.
