India Pakistan extends Kartarpur Corridor agreement till 2029

The governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to extend the validity of the Agreement on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for five years until 24 October 2029. The initial agreement was to lapse on 24 October 2024. 

The latest agreement between the countries was announced by the Ministry of External Affairs on 22 October 2024.

The agreement between the two countries comes in the background of the Minister for External Affairs, Dr S Jaishnakar's visit to Pakistan for the 23rd Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisations (SCO) Council of Heads of Government, held in Islamabad on 15 & 16 October 2024. 

In Islamabad, Dr Jaishankar met the Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

It was the first direct talk between the foreign ministers of both countries since the 2015 visit of the-External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Pakistan to attend the Heart of Asia Conference in Islamabad.

About the Kartarpur Corridor

India and Pakistan signed an agreement in 2019 to facilitate Indian pilgrims' visits to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan for five years. This agreement established a corridor between the two countries through which the Indian pilgrims were to visit Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan and return to the country. This corridor is popularly called the Kartarpur Corridor.

Indian pilgrims can visit Pakistan through the Kartarpur Corridor without a visa, but they must pay a $20 per person fee. 

What is the Kartarpur Corridor 

The Kartarpur Corridor is a 4.1 km long road that starts in Dera Baba Nanak town in Gurdaspur district, Punjab and ends at the Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib in the Narowal district of Pakistani Punjab province. 

Kartarpur is located in Pakistani Punjab along the west bank of the Ravi River. It is a holy pilgrimage place for the Sikhs, where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, spent the last 18 years of his life.

For details about Jaishankar's visit to Pakistan, read

S.Jaishnakar attends 23rd SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting