Following the tragic terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that claimed 26 lives, primarily of tourists, tensions along the India-Pakistan border have surged. This has directly impacted the Kartarpur Corridor pilgrimage, with the number of Indian Sikh devotees visiting Sri Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Narowal district dropping by nearly 50%.
On April 23, India responded by downgrading diplomatic ties with Pakistan due to cross-border links to the attack. While trade through the Attari-Wagah border was halted immediately, the Kartarpur Corridor remained operational, enabling Indian pilgrims to access the revered gurdwara, just 4.5 km from Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab’s Gurdaspur.
Initially, pilgrim numbers held steady—408 devotees crossed the border on April 23, close to the average of 425. But the count started falling rapidly: despite 493 approvals on April 24 and 25, only 333 and 308 pilgrims respectively used the corridor. The downward trend continued through the week: 208 pilgrims on April 26, 239 on April 27, 133 on April 28, 223 on April 29, and just 152 on April 30.
Baba Sukhdeep Singh Bedi of Dera Baba Nanak, a descendant of Guru Nanak, called the decline in footfall understandable. “It reflects the overall panic. The pilgrimage is, however, going on smoothly irrespective of the tension. The corridor has its own protocols, according to the bilateral agreement, and is being followed by both the countries.”
Urging devotees to continue their spiritual journey without fear, SGPC secretary Partap Singh added, “Sikhs should not be scared. There is nothing to worry. There are adequate security arrangements in place at the corridor on both sides of the border.”
