India has suspended operations at the Kartarpur Corridor following its recent missile strikes on Pakistan, effectively halting the pilgrimage of Sikh devotees to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, according to Indian media reports on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Home Affairs’ Bureau of Immigration issued a notification announcing the closure of the corridor at Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district “until further orders.” Approximately 150 pilgrims who arrived at the integrated check-post on Wednesday morning were turned back after a 90-minute wait.
The closure comes in the aftermath of Indian missile attacks targeting areas in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians and damage to multiple mosques.
The Kartarpur Corridor, inaugurated on November 9, 2019, serves as a visa-free border crossing that enables Indian Sikhs to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan — the final resting place of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. It links this sacred site to the Dera Baba Nanak shrine on the Indian side.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military responded forcefully to the Indian strikes. According to Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Pakistan’s armed forces shot down five Indian Air Force (IAF) jets, a combat drone, and destroyed several military positions, including brigade headquarters and multiple checkposts along the Line of Control (LoC).
He confirmed that Indian missiles struck Kotli, Muzaffarabad, Ahmedpur Sharqia Bagh, and Muridke. Calling the attack a “cowardly” act, the DG ISPR stated that such actions would not go unanswered. He further emphasized that the Pakistan Air Force immediately activated its defense systems, successfully preventing any Indian aircraft from entering Pakistani airspace.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Bloomberg TV that the downed aircraft included Rafale, Su-30, and MiG-29 fighter jets. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar corroborated this, adding that Indian aircraft were targeted after launching attacks on Pakistani territory.
