The Kartarpur Corridor (Punjabi: ਕਰਤਾਰਪੁਰ ਲਾਂਘਾ (Gurmukhi), کرتارپور لانگھا (Shahmukhi), romanized: kartārpur lāṅghā; Urdu: کرتارپور راہداری, romanized: kartār pūr rāhdārī) is a visa-free border crossing and religious corridor,[2][3] connecting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, near Narowal in Pakistan to Gurudwara Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdaspur district, Punjab, India.

[4][5][6][7] The crossing allows devotees from India to visit the gurdwara in Kartarpur, Pakistan, 4.7 kilometres (2.9 miles) from the India–Pakistan border on the Pakistani side without a visa.

[9] The Kartarpur Corridor was first proposed in early 1999 by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan respectively at that time, as part of the Delhi–Lahore Bus diplomacy.

The demands persisted till 1959, but the Punjab state government controlled by the Indian National Congress advised against any modification of the boundary fixed by the Radcliffe Award.

[28] For many years following partition, Indian Sikhs could visit Kartarpur informally by crossing the Jassar bridge (32°02′57″N 74°59′33″E / 32.04923°N 74.99242°E / 32.04923; 74.99242) on the Ravi river, as border controls between the two countries were not strictly enforced until 1965.

In 1969, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi promised to approach the Pakistani government for a land-swap so that Kartarpur Sahib could become part of India;[28] however, none of this materialised.

However, it was reported that General Pervez Musharraf gave a 'green signal' for constructing a corridor, according to the Pakistan Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee chairman Lt.-Gen. Javed Nasir.

[40] In 2008, the Indian foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee raised with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi the idea of "visa-free travel" to Kartarpur.

[55] In November 2010, the Punjab state legislative assembly unanimously passed a resolution in favour of an international passage between the two sites and forwarded it to the Indian Union government on 1 October 2010.

[57][44] In August 2018, another resolution related to the corridor in the Indian Punjab Vidhan Sabha was moved by then chief minister Amarinder Singh, which was passed unanimously.

Das, Joint Secretary (Internal Security) in the Union Home Ministry from India and Pakistan Foreign Office Director General South Asia and SAARC Mohammad Faisal met at Zero Point near Dera Baba Nanak in the border town of Gurdaspur to ink the memorandum of understanding.

[61] Each visitor would be required to pay USD $20 as a service charge, which as per Pakistan Foreign Office's DG South Asia & SAARC Mohammad Faisal, would only cover one-third of the current operational cost.

[68][69] In November 2018, foundation stones for the corridor were laid on the two sides of the border by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu respectively.

[78] Imran Khan received the pilgrims[79] and formally inaugurated the Kartarpur corridor by removing a curtain that was lifted by hot air balloons from a huge kirpan (dagger).

[85][86] Under the leadership of Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, the Jatha traveled through the corridor into Pakistan to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur.

[91][92][93] In November 2019, media reported that Indian security agencies had spotted alleged JeM terrorist training camp in the Narowal district, where the gurdwara is located.

[100] Even with a USD$20 fee waiver for all for two days I.e. November 9 and 12, initial turnout was low due to the complicated booking process and the fact that many Indian citizens lack passports.

[101][102] Aam Aadmi Party,[103] BJP Indore MP Shankar Lalwani,[104] The former DSGMC president[105] and SGPC demanded that the Indian government simplify the process.

[106] Important conditions of travel include: Lahore-based historian, Fakir S. Aijazuddin, characterised the corridor as a "unique experiment" in cross-border ties between India and Pakistan.

[111][112] Many Sikh pilgrims praised Pakistani PM Imran Khan and former Indian Punjab minister Sidhu, whom they gave credit for the corridor's opening.

"[114] RailTel Corporation of India launched the free RailWire Wi-Fi service to pilgrims at Dera Baba Nanak railway station and Integrated Check Post.

[115] Jalandhar based Republic Motors provided six campus electric carts for travel of pilgrims from Integrated Check Post (ICP) to zero point.