KARTARPUR, PAKISTAN: Sikh pilgrims from India visiting the Kartarpur Darbar Sahib shrine in Pakistan called for peace recently as tensions between the two nations escalated.
Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors flared after a deadly militant attack on April 22 that killed at least 26 people, including tourists. India says two of the three militants involved were from Pakistan. Islamabad has denied any involvement.
After the attack, New Delhi suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan unilaterally, recalled defense staff, announced the closure of the main land Attari-Wagah border crossing with Pakistan, downgraded diplomatic ties, and withdrew special visas for Pakistani nationals. In response, Islamabad ordered the expulsion of Indian diplomats and military advisers, canceling the visas for Indian nationals with the exception of Sikh pilgrims.
“Small fights and disputes happen in every home. India and Pakistan are our homes,” Lovejeet Singh, a Sikh pilgrim from India’s Punjab state, said on Saturday. He stressed the need for peace and unity between the two states.
“Let’s solve these problems together; nothing is more important than humanity. These are small issues, let’s sit together and find solutions.”
The Kartarpur Corridor, a rare visa-free crossing point opened in 2019, has allowed Indian devotees to visit one of Sikhism’s holiest shrines despite strained political relations between New Delhi and Islamabad.
According to international news agency AFP, troops from Pakistan and India exchanged fire in disputed Kashmir for the fourth night in a row on Sunday.
Kashmir has been disputed between India and Pakistan since independence from British rule in 1947. Both countries control parts of it but claim it in full and have fought two wars over the Himalayan territory.
Manjit Singh, another Sikh pilgrim from India, also called for ignoring tensions and moving toward peace.
“The tension should be completely removed and the brotherhood (between India and Pakistan) should flourish,” he said.
Indian pilgrims at Sikh holy site in Pakistan urge peace as ties plummet
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Indian pilgrims at Sikh holy site in Pakistan urge peace as ties plummet
- Ties have plunged since New Delhi accused Islamabad of being behind latest attack in Indian-administered Kashmir
- Visiting Sikh pilgrims from India call on Islamabad and New Delhi to sit together and resolve bilateral tensions
Pakistan president to visit Bahrain on Jan.13-16 to hold trade, defense talks
- Asif Ali Zardari will meet King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad
- Both nations have been seeking to deepen ties following a bilateral investment summit in May 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari will visit Bahrain on Jan. 13-16 where he would meet King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the Pakistani foreign office said on Monday, adding the talks would encompass trade and defense cooperation.
Pakistan and Bahrain have maintained close diplomatic, trade, investment and defense relations and have lately been focusing on strengthening their cooperation in key economic sectors.
The Pakistan president’s visit will be focused on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest for both nations, according to the foreign office in Islamabad.
“The visit seeks to reinforce Pakistan’s longstanding cooperation with the brotherly Gulf nation while expanding opportunities for collaboration in trade and economic partnership, defense and security, and people-to-people ties,” the Pakistani foreign office said.
The development comes amid increasing economic engagement between the two countries, following the Pakistan-Bahrain Investment Summit in May last year. Both sides signed contracts worth $13 million at the summit.
Bahrain is also home to a significant Pakistani expatriate community, a major source of remittances to the South Asian country and often highlighted by officials as a key pillar of bilateral relations.
