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Islamabad: The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has voiced serious concern over the ongoing closure of the Kartarpur Corridor, which has remained shut to Indian pilgrims since May 2025 following security-related restrictions imposed by the Government of India.
The corridor—established to provide visa-free access to Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib, one of the Sikh community’s holiest sites—has long served as a powerful symbol of peace, religious harmony, and cross-border people-to-people engagement.
NAPA highlighted that the Kartarpur Corridor has faced several disruptions in recent years, including a prolonged COVID-19–related closure until November 2021 and a brief suspension in July 2023 due to flooding in the Ravi River. However, the current months-long shutdown has caused significant emotional distress among millions of Sikh devotees around the world who deeply value regular access to the sacred shrine.
While Pakistani officials have publicly expressed hope that the corridor will reopen soon, neither Islamabad nor New Delhi has provided a clear timeline, adding to the uncertainty and concern within the global Sikh diaspora.
NAPA urged both governments—particularly their foreign ministers—to take urgent humanitarian and diplomatic measures to restore access. The organisation emphasised that the corridor is more than a physical route; it is a spiritual lifeline for Sikhs worldwide and a rare symbol of cooperation in an otherwise tense regional environment.
NAPA called for swift, coordinated action to ensure that pilgrims can once again visit Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib without further delay.
