Pakistan’s old playbook finds a new corridor: Why India must recalibrate its approach to Kartarpur and thwart ISI’s nefarious agenda
The Kartarpur Corridor was opened as a symbol of hope. It is a narrow but significant bridge between India and its hostile neighbour, Pakistan. Kartarpur Corridor is a spiritual lifeline that connects Indian Sikh devotees to one of their holiest sites, Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, where Guru Nanak Dev Ji spent the final 18 years of his life. As the Gurdwara is now in Pakistan after the partition, the corridor was opened as a goodwill gesture for the Sikh community living in India.
However, in less than five years since its inauguration in 2019, reports have emerged that Pakistan has been misusing it. Earlier, there were reports that Pakistan used the site to spread propaganda that India tried to attack the Gurdwara during the 1971 war. Furthermore, other reports suggested that Pakistani authorities approached Sikh devotees for business propositions without India’s permission.
As if that was not enough for Pakistan, the enemy nation started using the corridor to lure Indians to spy for Pakistan in exchange for money etc. The recent arrest of Devendra Singh Dhillon, a 25-year-old Masters student from Patiala’s Khalsa College, should serve as an eye-opener for the authorities on the Indian side. The arrest has emerged as a festering concern that New Delhi can no longer afford to ignore.
Apart from Dhillon, other influencers have also been arrested for spying against India and sending sensitive information to Pakistan. Such incidents have thrown light on how Pakistan may be using the corridor not for faith, but for fuelling anti-India operations, including Khalistani propaganda and espionage recruitment.
A corridor of devotion, or deception?
Devendra’s arrest is not an isolated case but part of a troubling pattern. He was picked by the police on 12th May from Kaithal, Haryana for uploading firearm photos on Facebook. Initially, police thought he was just another misled youth flexing for social media clout. However, the details that emerged during questioning shook the investigating officers.
Media reports suggest that in November last year, Dhillon had travelled to Pakistan via the Kartarpur Corridor. It was meant to be a religious pilgrimage but it allegedly became the entry point for deeper, more sinister interactions. He reportedly came in contact with Pakistan’s notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency’s officers. They lured him into sharing sensitive information with them, including images of the Patiala military cantonment.
If a political science postgraduate student could be roped into such a high-stakes espionage network, imagine how dangerous this trend can, or might have already, become. It cannot be treated as an isolated case.
According to Kaithal SP Aastha Modi, Pakistan’s handlers had spent considerable money on Dhillon. His phone was confiscated by the police and bank accounts are under probe to trace the money trail. The implications are clear. The Kartarpur Corridor has become a soft entry point for ISI recruitments and subversive activities under the garb of faith tourism.
Faith without vigilance is a national risk
When the Kartarpur Corridor was opened in 2019, India showed magnanimity. Despite the fact that Pakistan has a history of sponsoring cross-border terrorism and has been persistent with the anti-India rhetoric, New Delhi allowed thousands of its citizens to access the holy site of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s final resting place in Narowal district. The decision was made in good faith, literally and figuratively.
However, that very faith is now being exploited. The Pakistani establishment has long played host to Khalistani terrorists. Notorious Khalistani terrorists Gopal Singh Chawla, Jagtar Singh Tara, Gajinder Singh and many others have found asylum in Pakistan. Pakistan supported Sikh insurgency in Indian Punjab during the 1980s and often glorifies Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Furthermore, Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar had also gone to Pakistan to meet Tara.
It is evident that Pakistan sees Sikhs as soft targets. Now, the suspicion is that their new approach involves subtle indoctrination, honey-trapping, and direct ISI contact during Kartarpur visits. These attempts don’t rely on coercion. They rely on emotional manipulation, religious sentiments, and targeted selection of vulnerable visitors.
Is New Delhi doing enough?
It is high time that the Government of India asks itself if the security protocols surrounding Kartarpur visits are stringent enough. Are background checks thorough? Are returning pilgrims being adequately monitored for potential contact with foreign handlers? Are we tracking their financial footprints post-visit? More importantly, has there been any dialogue with the Pakistani side regarding rising misuse?
There are so many questions we must ask and Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government of India must answer.
Faith is personal, espionage is not
The case of Devendra Singh Dhillon and Jyoti Malhotra, among others, is a chilling reminder that Pakistan is not looking for trained spies. It is looking for malleable minds. The Kartarpur Corridor, with its sacred aura, provides a near-perfect cover. And while the spiritual ties must not be broken, India cannot afford to be naïve.
It is time for the Central government to rethink the framework around Kartarpur travel. Biometric profiling, stricter pilgrim guidelines, and post-return debriefings are not just prudent, they are necessary. Post-pilgrimage monitoring for a specific time must be added to the list as well. It is evident that behind a faithful visitor, there may be someone being quietly cultivated to serve another nation’s dark ambitions.
Kartarpur Corridor is a necessity but that does not mean we leave our doors unmanned.
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