New Delhi- India and Pakistan have agreed to extend the validity of the Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor agreement for an additional five years, according to a statement from India's Ministry of External Affairs. The original agreement, signed on October 24, 2019, allows Indian pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Narowal district through the corridor.

The Ministry also reiterated India’s appeal to Pakistan to waive the $20 service charge imposed on pilgrims for each visit, a longstanding request made by the visitors.

Earlier this year, in June, Pakistan issued 509 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to attend the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. At that time, the Pakistan High Commission in India said, "On the occasion of the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued 509 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to attend the annual anniversary scheduled to be held in Pakistan from June 21 to 30, 2024." Maharaja Ranjeet Singh was the first king of the Sikh empire in the 19th century and is popularly known as 'Sher-e-Punjab. '​

The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi emphasized its commitment to facilitating such visits, with the visa issuance governed by the 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines. Every year, a significant number of Indian pilgrims visit Pakistan for religious festivals.