New Delhi, Oct 29 (NationPress) The High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi announced that it has granted over 2100 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India for the upcoming Guru Nanak Jayanti, also known as Gurpurab, celebrations scheduled for next month.

The announcement was made via a post on X, stating, "The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued more than 2100 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to celebrate the birth of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Pakistan, taking place from November 4-13, 2025."

Last year, both nations reached an agreement to extend the validity of the Agreement on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for an additional five years through diplomatic channels.

This agreement, signed on October 24, 2019, facilitates the visits of Indian pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Narowal, Pakistan, via the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, and was initially valid for five years.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has stated that this extension guarantees the uninterrupted operation of the Corridor, allowing Indian pilgrims to visit the sacred Gurdwara in Pakistan.

India has also requested that Pakistan refrain from imposing any fees or charges on the pilgrims, emphasizing the ongoing requests for the removal of the USD 20 service fee imposed by Pakistan for each pilgrim visit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor in November 2019, with the first group of 550 Indian pilgrims, led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, visiting the revered shrine.

Since the partition in 1947, the shrine had been closed to visitors from India. However, it reopened for pilgrims after restoration work in 1999, and Sikh groups have been visiting regularly since.

Earlier this year, the services of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor were halted due to security concerns following the tragic April 22 Pahalgam terror attacks.

The Pakistani government faced significant backlash when floodwaters reached the sanctum of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib earlier this year.

Reports suggest that Pakistan's intelligence and security agencies have devised plans to promote anti-India sentiments during the upcoming visit of Indian Sikh pilgrims, or jathas, to the country.

A report by ‘Khalsa Vox’ indicated that an inter-agency meeting on August 2 at Hotel Gulberg in Lahore discussed the potential use of anti-India banners at Gurdwaras. However, both the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) opposed this idea.

An ETPB Additional Secretary cautioned that politicizing the pilgrimage might lead India to suspend these visits indefinitely, which would be a setback for the financially struggling boards.

The report highlighted allegations that the ETPB has already incurred losses of nearly 70 million Pakistani rupees monthly since the Kartarpur Corridor closure on May 8, a situation worsened by the cancellation of two significant annual Sikh pilgrimages.