India-Pakistan tension: Kartarpur Corridor experiences 50% drop in Sikh pilgrim footfall
By : Sandhya
The escalation of border tensions following the Pahalgam terror assault on April 22 has resulted in a 50% decrease in the number of Indian Sikh pilgrims traveling the Kartarpur Corridor to Sri Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak in Narowal area of Pakistan.
On April 23, the Indian government chose to downgrade diplomatic ties with Pakistan due to cross-border linkages to the terror assault that killed 26 persons, the majority of whom were tourists. While trade through the integrated checkpost at the Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar district was temporarily halted, India and Pakistan have kept the Kartarpur Corridor open, allowing Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the historic gurdwara, located 4.5 kilometers from Dera Baba Nanak town in Gurdaspur district.
A day after the terror attack, 408 pilgrims crossed the border, which was close to the daily average of 425. The tally began to decline on April 24, when 493 pilgrims were given the official nod, but only 333 entered the passageway.