ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has renewed its agreement with India for the Kartarpur Corridor that gives Indian Sikh pilgrims visa-free access to the final resting place of their religion’s founder, the Pakistani foreign office said on Tuesday.

The visa-free border crossing, from India to Kartarpur in the Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab, was inaugurated in November 2019 just ahead of the 550th birthday of Sikhism’s founder Baba Guru Nanak. 

The corridor connects the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak in India to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Guru Nanak, in Kartarpur and is seen as a rare example of cooperation and diplomacy between the two South Asian neighbors.

Originally signed on October 24, 2019 for a period of five years, the Kartarpur Corridor agreement between the nuclear-armed rivals was due to complete its term on Thursday.

“Its renewal underscores Pakistan’s enduring commitment to fostering interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence,” the Pakistan foreign office said in a statement.

“The agreement continues to offer visa-free access to pilgrims from India, enabling them to visit the sacred site of Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur where Baba Guru Nanak, the revered founder of Sikhism, spent his final days. Since its inception, the Corridor has facilitated the pilgrimage of thousands of worshippers to this holy site.”

Much of the Sikh heritage is located in Pakistan. When Pakistan was carved out of India at the end of British rule in 1947, Kartarpur ended up on the Pakistani side of the border, while most of the region’s Sikhs remained on the other side.

For over seven decades, the Sikh community had lobbied for easier access to their holiest temple.

Pakistan’s initiative to open the corridor earned widespread appreciation from the international community, including the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres who described it as a “Corridor of Hope.”

“The Kartarpur Corridor fulfills the long-cherished aspirations of the Sikh community for an access to one of their most revered religious landmarks,” the Pakistani foreign office said.

“It reflects Pakistan’s recognition of the importance of safeguarding the rights of religious minorities.”