India suspends the Kartarpur corridor
India closes its side of the Kartarpur corridor during the crisis with Pakistan that followed the Pahalgam attack. As of early November 2026 it remains closed from the Indian side, while Pakistan says its side is open.
India closed the corridor until further orders in May 2025, around the time of Operation Sindoor. About 1.3 lakh (130,000) pilgrims had used it since 2019, according to The Tribune. India did allow a Sikh jatha to visit Pakistan for the Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in November 2025, after first refusing.
The Indian government gives security as its reason. In September 2026 The Tribune reported Kirti Vardhan Singh, a Minister of State for External Affairs, as saying the security situation compels the suspension to continue. Pakistan says its side remains open and that the route should be kept out of politics.
Sikh institutions have pressed for reopening. The SGPC passed a resolution on 28 March 2026. In September 2026 the Border Security Force and Punjab Police stopped a delegation led by the officiating Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, from reaching the border for a joint prayer, citing border protocols. On 27 October 2026 the Punjab Vidhan Sabha passed a resolution asking the Union government to reopen the corridor and simplify procedures.
No announcement of reopening had been reported as of 5 November 2026. A Tribune explainer of September 2026 quotes a former Guru Nanak Dev University professor as thinking a reopening unlikely in the near future.[Web][Web][Web][Web][Web][Web][Web]