Pakistan is ready to accommodate up to 5,000 Sikh pilgrims a day at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur—an update closely watched by people following Kartarpur Corridor online booking and travel plans—provided India lifts restrictions on movement through the corridor, Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said.
He said the capacity could take effect immediately once those limits are removed, and that Islamabad had also offered extra facilities for Sikh devotees visiting holy shrines in Pakistan, including Darbar Kartarpur Sahib.
Daily capacity and visa facilitation
Responding to questions about Indian curbs on Sikh travel, Sajjad Haider Khan said New Delhi had eventually withdrawn restrictions on Indian Sikh pilgrims seeking to visit Pakistan after international pressure and demands from the Sikh community, even though pilgrims already held the required documents. Those restrictions, he said, had lasted several weeks.
He added that Pakistan has been helping Sikh pilgrims visit their holy shrines in the country five times a year, with visitors arriving from around the world. “Islamabad has been granting them visas and other travel facilities generously,” he said. He regretted that India was discouraging its Sikh citizens from travelling to Pakistan for religious pilgrimage, while Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi continued to process visas and related arrangements.
Support for Punjab Assembly’s reopening call
The spokesperson said Pakistan respected and supported the Indian Punjab Legislative Assembly’s unanimous demand that New Delhi reopen the Kartarpur Corridor at once. “Pakistan supports the demand made by the Indian Punjab legislators,” he said.
That assembly recently passed a unanimous resolution asking the central government to restore corridor access so Sikh pilgrims could reach Gurdwara Darbar Sahib without unnecessary restrictions. Lawmakers described the corridor as a symbol of religious harmony, cultural ties and shared heritage, and pressed for simpler visa and travel procedures. The resolution was moved by Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains and strongly backed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.
Observers have warned that prolonged limits have hurt Sikh religious sentiments and blocked devotees from one of their most sacred sites—context that also shapes public interest in Kartarpur Corridor online booking when access resumes.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 7 May 2025: India suspends Kartarpur Corridor operations after the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the military escalation that followed; Pakistan says the closure was unjustified.
- Following weeks: Restrictions on Indian Sikh pilgrims travelling to Pakistan remain in place for several weeks before New Delhi withdraws them, according to the Foreign Office.
- Recent assembly session: The Indian Punjab Legislative Assembly unanimously urges the central government to restore corridor access and ease pilgrim travel.
- Sunday: Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan says Pakistan can host up to 5,000 Sikh pilgrims daily at Kartarpur with immediate effect if India lifts corridor movement restrictions.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan ne kaha hai ke woh Kartarpur Sahib par rozana 5,000 Sikh zaaireen ka intizam kar sakta hai. Yeh tab mumkin hoga jab India corridor ki pabandiyan hata de. Indian Punjab Assembly ne bhi corridor dobara kholne ki darkhwast ki hai. Agar raasta khul jaye to log apne muqaddas maqam par zyada asani se ja sakenge.
