Kashmir killings: Kartarpur Corridor remains open despite rising tensions between India, Pakistan

Kartarpur Sahib

The Kartarpur Corridor remains open for devotees to visit the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan, despite the Pahalgam terror attack and growing tensions between India and Pakistan.

A devotee expressed his disapproval of the attack and said that once the terrorists responsible for the attack are apprehended, the situation would become clearer. The devotee was quoted by ANI, "What happened (terror attack) was really wrong...I am going to the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara to pay obeisance..They (terrorists) targeted the Hindu brothers to spread hatred. Once the terrorists are held, everything will become clear."

The Kartarpur Corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, to the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur district. The visa-free 4.7-kilometre-long corridor connects the Indian border to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. It became operational in 2019.

Following the terror attack, the Central government announced several diplomatic measures, such as closing the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, suspending the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals, giving them 40 hours to return to their country, and reducing the number of officers in the High Commissions on both sides. India also halted the Indus Waters Treaty signed in 1960 in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.

Terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on April 22, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured.