The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said pilgrimage travel between India and Pakistan is governed by bilateral arrangements. It also said services on the Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor remain suspended because of the prevailing security situation.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the comments while responding to questions on demands for more visas for Sikh pilgrims and the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor.
Jaiswal was asked about a meeting between a senior Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) delegation and Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires in New Delhi. The delegation had sought an increase in the visa quota for Sikh pilgrims travelling to Pakistan.
“We have also seen reports about the meeting you mentioned,” Jaiswal said. He noted that India and Pakistan have a bilateral arrangement under which Sikh jathas from India visit pilgrimage sites in Pakistan every year.
On calls from the SGPC and other Sikh organisations to reopen the Kartarpur Corridor, Jaiswal said the services remained suspended because of the current security situation.
He said the government had recently responded to a question on the issue in Parliament. The corridor services were suspended from May 7, 2025, due to the prevailing security situation and continue to remain suspended, he said.
The MEA's statement came after an SGPC delegation led by President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami met Pakistan's Charge d'Affaires Saad Ahmad Warraich in New Delhi. The delegation requested a larger visa quota for Sikh pilgrims ahead of the Prakash Gurpurab of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in November.
The SGPC has asked Pakistan to make special arrangements to allow more pilgrims to travel for the religious occasion. It cited the large number of applications received this year.
According to the SGPC, more than 7,500 Sikh devotees have submitted their passports to its office for travel to Pakistan for the November 2026 Prakash Gurpurab.
The Sikh body said the Pakistan High Commission normally issues around 1,800 visas for pilgrims. It has requested special arrangements to allow all more than 7,500 applicants to travel, beyond the usual quota.
The SGPC has also urged the Centre to take up the matter with Pakistan and facilitate the maximum possible number of visa approvals. It also called for the immediate reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor, citing strong demand among devotees and restrictions on private jathas.
The Kartarpur Sahib Corridor allows Indian pilgrims to travel visa-free to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, under the arrangements agreed between the two countries. The corridor's services were suspended from May 7, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack.
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