Kanwaljit Kaur Dhillon, a 54-year-old devotee from Samrala successful Punjab’s Ludhiana, was eagerly preparing for her pilgrimage to Nankana Sahib with her hubby to people Guru Nanak Dev’s commencement day successful November this twelvemonth — her excitement turned to dismay erstwhile she learned of the Centre’s advisory directing States to suspend processing applications for the spiritual travel to Pakistan. As India and Pakistan teams look disconnected for a 2nd lucifer successful the Asia Cup being played successful Dubai connected Sunday (September 21, 2025), galore similar Ms. Dhillon are asking wherefore cricket tin spell ahead, but not pilgrimages that had been planned for months.
While the Kartarpur Sahib cross-border corridor has been closed since Operation Sindoor was launched successful May, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced earlier this period that Sikh pilgrim “jathas” (groups) to Pakistan’s Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak which spell regularly arsenic portion of a 1974 statement with Pakistan, volition besides beryllium stopped indefinitely.
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“Considering the prevailing information script with Pakistan, it would not beryllium imaginable to nonstop Sikh pilgrims’ jatha [group] to Pakistan,” the announcement sent by MHA to State governments said.
“It came arsenic daze to maine erstwhile I heard astir that our authorities is not allowing america to Nankana Sahib. My hubby and I were upbeat astir our question to wage obeisance but each are joyousness got shattered. A fewer years ago, I visited Kartarpur Sahib unsocial arsenic my hubby was unwell, and we had past decided to spell unneurotic to Nankana Sahib, and this twelvemonth we planned for it, but it’s unfortunate that we are not allowed. If the crippled of cricket betwixt 2 nations [Asia Cup India-Pakistan matches] could beryllium allowed, past wherefore restrict us?” asked Ms. Dhillon, 1 among the 1,900 aspirants who had submitted her applications with Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which manages humanities gurdwaras, their documents for going with the ‘jatha’ to Pakistan.
Sikh organisations and governmental parties person been urging the Centre not conscionable to reconsider its latest determination surrounding the pilgrims question to Nankana Sahib, but are besides seeking the reopening of the Kartarpur corridor, which allows devotees to sojourn the historical Darbar Sahib gurdwara successful Pakistan. The corridor, that was inaugurated successful 2019, and closed concisely during the COVID-19 pandemic earlier being reopened successful 2021, has frankincense acold weathered India-Pakistan tensions. However, connected May 9, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that “in presumption of the existing information scenario, the services of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor person been suspended till further directions.” The Ministry of External Affairs declined to remark connected erstwhile the corridor whitethorn beryllium reopened, and the website for registrations has suspended applications.
“With the resumption of cricketing ties betwixt the 2 countries, support should besides beryllium granted for pilgrimage to Sikh beatified sites successful Pakistan,” said Palwinder Singh (52) of Nangli Kurd colony successful Amritsar district, who said helium took backmost his passport from the SGPC bureau this week with a “heavy heart”. “It appears we volition lone get a glimpse of Kartarpur Sahib shrine done binoculars”, helium adds, referring to the concern earlier the 4-lane road and Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) astatine the planetary borderline was developed by the Government astatine the outgo of an estimated In ₹170 crores ($2.2 million). Pakistan is understood to person spent astir $15 cardinal connected processing the roadworthy and analyzable restorations astir the Gurudwara wherever Guru Nanak spent the past 18 years of his life.
Amarjit Singh, Director of Sikh Studies Chair astatine Guru Nanak Dev University successful Amritsar, questioned the rationale of the Government’s decision. “We person seen respective wars with Pakistan, but the pilgrimages person carried on. Sikhs from crossed the satellite would beryllium visiting Nankana Sahib, truthful information would not beryllium an contented lone for Sikhs from India?”
“What happened successful Pahalgam is condemnable. But past the Government of India should sever each relations with Pakistan, not prime and choose. If you tin play cricket with them past wherefore halt pilgrims from visiting Pakistan? This is favoritism with Punjab,” said Dharam Singh, erstwhile prof of Sikh Studies astatine Punjabi University, Patiala,
The SGPC had started the process of collecting passports of devotees and sending applications to the Pakistan High Commission successful July. The SGPC has urged the Centre to let pilgrims to sojourn the shrine successful November for the Sikh laminitis Guru’s commencement anniversary.
(with inputs from Suhasini Haidar successful Delhi)
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