Pakistani Sikh Leaders Appeal to India for Pilgrim Access on Guru Nanak’s Death Anniversary
Lahore, Sept 17: Prominent Sikh leaders in Pakistan, alongside the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), have urged the Indian government to permit Sikh devotees to cross the border and participate in the upcoming commemoration of Guru Nanak Dev’s death anniversary at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur on September 22.
The appeal comes against the backdrop of tightened restrictions following the Pahalgam terror attack in April, after which India closed the Attari-Wagah border, halting the movement of Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan. The ETPB, the statutory body responsible for maintaining minority religious shrines in Pakistan, expressed concern that Indian Sikh devotees have been unable to access their revered religious sites due to the restrictions.
“Our doors remain open for Sikh pilgrims,” ETPB spokesperson Ghulam Mohyuddin said, stressing that the death anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev—founder of Sikhism—will be observed with great reverence at Kartarpur Sahib. “We sincerely hope the Indian government allows devotees to travel for this significant occasion.”
Echoing the call, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and a Punjab minister, highlighted the emotional and spiritual importance of the event for Sikh communities worldwide. “This is a moment of deep faith and remembrance. Pilgrims from India must be allowed to join their brethren here,” he said. PSGPC vice president Mahesh Singh reinforced the demand, urging both governments to facilitate the religious sentiments of Sikh devotees.
The Kartarpur Corridor, inaugurated in November 2019, holds profound symbolic and religious value. Spanning 4.1 kilometres, it connects Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur—where Guru Nanak Dev spent the last years of his life and attained jyoti jot in the early 16th century—to Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district. The corridor was designed to provide visa-free access for Indian Sikh pilgrims to one of their holiest sites.
