Sikh Pilgrims Cross Into Pakistan for Religious Festival as Border Reopens After Deadly May Clashes

Pakistan welcomed more than 2,000 Sikh pilgrims from India on Tuesday in the first significant border crossing since deadly conflict between the two nations forced closure of the main land crossing in May.

Journalists witnessed dozens of pilgrims entering Pakistan through the Wagah-Attari border—the sole active land route between the nuclear-armed neighbors—where Pakistani officials greeted them with flowers and rose petals.

According to Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi, over 2,100 pilgrims received visas to participate in a 10-day festival celebrating the 556th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. Indian media reported approximately 1,700 pilgrims were expected to cross, though Indian authorities provided no immediate official confirmation.

The border had been closed to regular traffic following the worst violence between India and Pakistan since 1999. The May clashes claimed more than 70 lives through missile, drone, and artillery attacks, leaving tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi severely strained.

On Tuesday morning, pilgrims lined up on the Indian side carrying luggage under the watch of the Indian Border Security Force before crossing into Pakistan.

The pilgrims will gather Wednesday at Nankana Sahib, Guru Nanak’s birthplace located approximately 80 kilometers west of Lahore, before visiting other sacred sites including Kartarpur, where the Sikh guru is buried.

Pakistan’s High Commission stated last week that granting the visas aligned with efforts to promote “inter-religious and inter-cultural harmony and understanding.” Indian newspapers reported Saturday that the government authorized “selected” groups to make the journey.

The Kartarpur Corridor, a visa-free passage established in 2019 that allows Indian Sikhs to visit the temple without using the main border crossing, has remained shut since the May conflict.

Sikhism emerged as a monotheistic faith in 15th-century Punjab, a region now divided between India and Pakistan. When British colonial rule ended violently in 1947, the partition created Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, splitting Punjab along the new border.

Although most Sikhs relocated to India during partition, several of their holiest sites—including the shrines at Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur—ended up on Pakistani territory.