Press Release
ISSI hosts Seminar on “Kartarpur Corridor: Pakistan’s Initiatives for Peace and Harmony”
March 20, 2025
The message of Guru Nanak was love, peace and hope
The Kartarpur Corridor, hailed as a “Corridor of Hope” by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stands as a symbol of Pakistan’s commitment to interfaith harmony, the protection of minority rights, and its desire for a peaceful and cooperative neighborhood. In this spirit, the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) organized a Seminar titled “Kartarpur Corridor: Pakistan’s Initiatives for Peace and Harmony” on 20 March 2025. The Minister for Minority Affairs, Government of Punjab Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora graced the occasion as chief guest whereas Mr. Abu Bakar Aftab Qureshi, CEO Kartarpur Corridor was the Guest of Honour. Other speakers included Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, former Minister of State, Mr. Qibla Ayaz, former Chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology and Mr. Harmeet Singh, Anchorperson and Journalist.
Expressing his views on the subject, chief guest Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora said that the establishment of the Kartarpur Corridor is a matter of pride for every Pakistani. When the corridor was being built, every political party in Pakistan fully supported it as a national project. It also reflected the State’s priority, which is to ensure the rights of minorities in Pakistan. The message given by Guru Nanak is universal – focused on peace, solidarity and love. He highlighted that while India claims to be a secular country, even today, Sikh marriages are registered there under Hindu laws. In Pakistan, on the other hand, Sikh marriages are registered under Sikh Marriage Act, which was implemented last year.
Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora stressed that though the message of Guru Nanak was love, peace and hope, certain vested interests and forces that want to destabilize Pakistan are bent on derailing this message. But despite that, there has been a 72 percent increase in Sikh pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur. Those coming from India, take back with them memories of love and hospitality. He apprised the audience that the Government of Pakistan intends to rehabilitate at least 46 more Gurdwaras and other religious places of Hinduism and Buddhism. He also highlighted the fact that it is not Pakistan’s state policy to discriminate or persecute the minorities whereas the same could not be said about the neighbouring country as reflected in frequent anti-minority violence and legislation.
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, Director General ISSI Ambassador Sohail Mahmood said that following the completion of five years since the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor, On 22 October 2024, Pakistan and India agreed to renew their agreement for the facilitation of pilgrims to visit Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur for an additional five years. It was a long-standing desire of the Sikh community in India to have access to one of their most sacred religious landmarks. While considering this request of the Sikh community, the Government of Pakistan made a three-fold determination: that opening the corridor and enabling access to this Gurdwara was in line with Islamic principles; that it was consistent with Pakistan’s policy of promoting inter-faith harmony; and, that it was in sync with the Quaid’s vision of a peaceful neighbourhood. He highlighted that just a few months before this initiative, on 5 August 2019, India had taken illegal and unilateral steps seeking to alter the internationally disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir and change the demographic structure of the occupied territory. The months following the Indian actions were marked by heightened tensions. Yet, the Government of Pakistan chose not to allow the Kartarpur Corridor project to be negatively affected by these developments. It remained firm in fulfilling its promise to the Sikh community. Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to dialogue and peace. Pakistan believes that initiatives like Kartarpur can serve as stepping stones towards a more cooperative regional environment.
Mr. Abu Bakar Aftab Qureshi shared a brief history and said that Baba Guru Nanak founded Kartarpur in 1504 AD. More than five centuries ago, no one knew that one day, it would be located on the border between India and Pakistan. The entire border between India and Pakistan is prone to tensions but this particular part remains peaceful. Guru Nanak’s whole philosophy revolved around three principles including remembering God; the dignity of labour; and using whatever is earned on others. Based on the teachings of Baba Guru Nanak, the Kartarpur Corridor is proof that peace can bind societies. To promote the cause of peace, Pakistan decided to grant visa-free access to people from the adversary country. The Corridor was created for the minority community of another country. He said that Pakistan’s sincere efforts have not been reciprocated. He hoped that someday in future, this Corridor can become a venue for bilateral talks between India and Pakistan.
In his welcome remarks, the Director India Study Centre, Dr. Khurram Abbas said that the Kartarpur Corridor is a symbol of peace and harmony, particularly cross-border harmony between India and Pakistan. The establishment of the Corridor is evidence of Pakistan’s efforts to bridge divides between religions and two countries.
Mr. Qibla Ayaz pondered upon “Interfaith Harmony in Islam: Kartarpur as a Model for Coexistence”. Highlighting the importance of the topic, he spoke on Islam’s perspectives on inter-faith harmony and said that it is wrongly assumed that Islam is a religion of non-tolerance and that it does not believe in peaceful co-existence. He said that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is a role model in this connection. He particularly highlighted the Misaq-e-Medina, one of the foundational documents from Islamic history that specifically spoke about peaceful co-existence between different groups and religions. Later, the reign of Hazrat Umar Farooq and subsequent various Muslim dynasties all ensured the protection of the rights of minority communities. The establishment of Kartarpur Corridor should also be seen in the same spirit. Apart from religion, the Corridor also enjoys diplomatic significance.
Mr. Harmeet Singh expressed his views on “Kartarpur: A Bridge of Faith and Diplomacy”. He highlighted the significance of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur for the people belonging to the Sikh faith. He said that be it Baba Bhule Shah, Baba Farid or Guru Nanak, the land of Punjab has always spread the message of love across the world. He said that the message and preaching of Prophet Muhammad, Hazrat Ali (RA) and Guru Nanak is for the entire humanity. Mr. Harmeet suggested a number of measures including the construction of better roads leading to Gurdwara, training of the security officials and more facilities for the pilgrims to be taken by the government to further consolidate the fruits of this great initiative.
Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani spoke on “Religious Pluralism and Pakistan’s Commitment to Minority Rights”. He appreciated Pakistan’s decision to establish the Kartarpur Corridor and said that Pakistan has become a model state after Riyasat-e-Medina for peaceful co-existence. He however noted that the minority’s number is decreasing which should be given more focus to ascertain the reasons. He stressed that religious tourism should be promoted in Pakistan which will help the country in economic terms, project a soft image of Pakistan, and assist in the fight against terrorism and extremism.
In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman, Board of Governors, ISSI said that religious extremism is on the rise around the world and it has become state policy in some countries. Today, we need tolerance and interfaith harmony more than ever which is reflected in Kartarpur Corridor. It reflects Pakistan’s policy of treating minorities as equal citizens of Pakistan and promoting friendship with the neighboring country. Pakistan hopes that this Corridor will prove to be a harbinger for more Corridors not only of Sikh faith but also Hinduism and Buddhism.
The event was attended by people belonging to various walks of life including students, members of academia and representatives of various think tanks.
