Chandigarh: While ties between India and Pakistan remain severed at various levels, the Global Sikh Council (GSC) has strongly urged the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, which has remained closed since May 7 following the air clashes between India and Pakistan.

In a statement released on 17 July 2025, GSC President Dr. Kanwaljit Kaur and Secretary Harjeet Singh Grewal expressed concern over India’s unilateral and indefinite suspension of pilgrimages to the sacred Sikh shrine, while Pakistan continues to keep its side of the corridor operational. The closure has left thousands of Sikh devotees worldwide disheartened, unable to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur   the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, it said.

Dr. Kanwaljit Kaur emphasized that the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor was created as a symbol of peace and religious harmony, and it should not fall victim to political discord. “Religious access should not be a casualty of political tensions,” she said in a written appeal to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The Kartarpur Corridor is not just a border route – it is a spiritual artery for the Sikh community across the globe. With peace now prevailing, there is no justification for its continued closure,” the GSC statement read.

The Global Sikh Council urged India’s Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of External Affairs to take immediate steps to restore cross-border pilgrimages. “Sri Kartarpur Sahib is beyond politics. Its closure on administrative or political grounds deeply hurts the spiritual sentiments of Sikhs around the world,” the statement added.

Calling for unified support, the Global Sikh Council has appealed to Sikh institutions, the Punjab government, Members of Parliament, and civil society to press for the reopening of the corridor. The GSC maintains that resuming pilgrimages would reaffirm religious freedom and help foster international goodwill.