India and Pakistan have officially renewed the agreement on the Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for an additional five years, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday. The extension aims to facilitate the pilgrimage experience for Indian devotees visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan.
"It has been agreed between India and Pakistan through diplomatic channels to extend the validity of the Agreement on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for a further period of five years," the MEA stated.
In its statement, the MEA highlighted that the continued requests from pilgrims regarding the removal of the USD 20 service charge imposed by Pakistan per pilgrim per visit prompted India to urge Pakistan once again to refrain from levying any fees or charges on the pilgrims.
The original agreement, signed on 24 October 2019, allowed for the seamless travel of pilgrims from India to Pakistan and was initially valid for five years. The recent extension is intended to ensure uninterrupted access for Indian pilgrims to the holy Gurdwara.
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External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also took to social media platform X to share the announcement, stating, "PM @narendramodi's government will continue to facilitate our Sikh community’s access to their holy sites." He included a link to the MEA's statement.
The Kartarpur corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district. The Kartarpur corridor was opened in 2019 on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.