NAPA Urges India, Pakistan To Reopen Kartarpur Corridor For Pilgrims
While Pakistani authorities have expressed hope for an early resumption, neither government has announced a definite timeline.
The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) expressed concern on Sunday over the continued closure of the Kartarpur Corridor, which was shut to Indian pilgrims in May 2025, after the government of India suspended travel, citing security concerns.
In a statement, NAPA said the Kartarpur Corridor, which provides visa-free access to Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, has long served as a symbol of peace, faith, and people-to-people diplomacy between the two nations.
The prolonged suspension has caused emotional distress among millions of Sikh devotees across the world, it added.
NAPA recalled that the corridor has faced several closures in the past, including the extended shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, which lasted until November 2021, and a temporary suspension in July 2023 following flooding in the Ravi River.
However, the current halt, the association said, has created heightened anxiety among the Sikh diaspora due to the lack of clarity on when the route will reopen.
While Pakistani authorities have expressed hope for an early resumption, neither government has announced a definite timeline, the statement said.
Urging both New Delhi and Islamabad, particularly the foreign ministers of the two countries, to take 'immediate humanitarian and diplomatic steps' to restore pilgrim movement, NAPA said that the corridor is not just an infrastructure project but a 'spiritual lifeline' for Sikhs worldwide and a vital channel of cooperation in a region often marked by tension.
The association appealed for swift, coordinated action to ensure devotees can once again visit Gurdwara Sri Darbar Sahib without delay.
