CHANDIGARH, July 17: Amid the continuing ceasefire between India and Pakistan, the Global Sikh Council (GSC) has strongly urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, which has remained closed since May 7 following the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent cross-border tensions.
In a statement released today, GSC President Dr. Kanwaljit Kaur and Secretary Harjeet Singh Grewal expressed concern over India’s unilateral and indefinite suspension of pilgrimages to the sacred Sikh shrine, while Pakistan continues to keep its side of the corridor operational. The closure has left thousands of Sikh devotees worldwide disheartened, unable to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, it said.
Dr. Kaur emphasized that the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor was created as a symbol of peace and religious harmony, and it should not fall victim to political discord. “Religious access should not be a casualty of political tensions,” she said in a written appeal to the Indian Prime Minister.
“The Kartarpur Corridor is not just a border route – it is a spiritual artery for the Sikh community across the globe. With peace now prevailing, there is no justification for its continued closure,” the GSC statement read.
The Council urged the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs to take immediate steps to restore cross-border pilgrimages. “Sri Kartarpur Sahib is beyond politics. Its closure on administrative or political grounds deeply hurts the spiritual sentiments of Sikhs around the world,” the statement added.
Calling for unified support, the Global Sikh Council has appealed to Sikh institutions, the Punjab government, Members of Parliament, and civil society to press for the reopening of the corridor. The GSC maintains that resuming pilgrimages would reaffirm religious freedom and help foster international goodwill.
(UNI)
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