Pakistan, India renew agreement granting visa-free access to Sikh pilgrims

Islamabad and New Delhi have renewed an agreement that grants visa-free access to Sikh pilgrims from India, both countries confirmed.

The agreement between India and Pakistan has been extended for a period of five years, a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Office read Tuesday.

In Pakistan, the pilgrims visit Kartarpur Sahib temple where Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, spent his final days.

  

File/AFP

Sikh pilgrims visit the shrine ofBaba Guru Nanak Dev at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.

The landmark agreement was first signed in October 2019 for a five-year term.

"Its renewal underscores Pakistan's enduring commitment to fostering interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence," the Pakistani statement said.

Waive $20 service charge

India also welcomed the renewal of the agreement but asked Islamabad to waive the $20 service charge for each pilgrim.

"India and Pakistan have renewed the agreement on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for the next five years. PM @narendramodi's government will continue to facilitate our Sikh community's access to their holy sites," Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said on X.

A screenshot of Indian Minister for External Affairs Subramanyam Jaishankar's post on X announcing the renewal of the agreement on Kartarpur Sahib Corridor with Pakistan.@DrSJaishankar/X

In a statement shared on X, he further said: "In view of the continued requests of pilgrims regarding the removal of USD 20 service charge levied by Pakistan per pilgrim per visit, India has once again urged Pakistan to not levy any fee or charges on the pilgrims."

The move is being seen as a thaw in relations between India and Pakistan, especially in view of Jaishankar's visit earlier this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad.

Reducing travel time

In 2019, Pakistan's then-Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor, a visa-free border crossing, connecting the sacred temple near Narowal in Pakistan to Gurdaspur district in Indian Punjab.

The crossing reduces distance for the pilgrims to 4.7 kilometers (2.9 miles) from 125 kilometers (78 miles).

Welcoming the move at its inauguration, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi likened the move to the fall of the Berlin Wall, saying that the initiative could help ease tensions between the two countries.

The first batch of pilgrims, over 500, were led by former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bollywood actor Sunny Deol.

The initiative has earned widespread appreciation from the international community, including UN chief Antonio Guterres, who described it as a “corridor of hope.”