Thousands of people, including Sikh pilgrims from across the world, were trapped in Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur even as the holy shrine was inflicted with severe damage in the recent floods, which could have been prevented if the Pakistan government had taken precautionary measures and responded swiftly when the disaster occurred. According to the state-broadcaster Radio Pakistan, about 200-300 people were stranded in Kartarpur, even as an independent analyst said the preliminary losses due to the damages were a whopping USD 500-700 million.
Pakistan government’s “chronic unpreparedness” was responsible for the disastrous floods in Kartarpur and elsewhere, said Nabeil Schaik, a British entrepreneur of Pakistani origin. “Warnings were issued, but Pakistan’s response was sluggish. Kartarpur Corridor was submerged. Over 600,000 people were affected across 769 villages. Embankments breached, roads washed out, and entire districts cut off. This wasn’t just water, it was a test of preparedness. Pakistan failed,” Schaik said.
A scribe from Sikh Siyasat News reported that the’ mazar’ outside the Darbar Sahib and the ground floor of the shrine were completely underwater, and those stuck inside the gurdwara complex were petrified.Khalsa Vox reported that the closure of the gurdwara and Kartarpur corridor caused huge inconvenience to Sikh pilgrims. “Floodwaters reached up to 10-12 feet in the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara complex, submerging ground floors, sanctums, and access routes, leaving over a hundred Sikh pilgrims and officials temporarily stranded before they were rescued by boats and helicopters,” it said.
The magnitude of the damage and anger among the people could be gauged from the fact that the Army Chief Asim Munir had to step in and assure the Sikh community about the speedy restoration. Kartarpur is home to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, one of Sikhism’s holiest sites, where its founder, Guru Nanak, spent his final years. “It is the responsibility of the state and its institutions to protect the minorities and their religious sites and the state of Pakistan will leave no stone unturned to uphold its responsibility towards the minorities,” the Pakistani Army quoted Munir as saying.
The corruption by the Pakistani military was responsible for the Kartarpur disaster, as profits were preferred to environmental studies and oversight, said Syed Hussain, a former Pakistani serviceman. “Kartarpur, a place of immense spiritual significance, is drowning under floods—not only of water but of corruption. This tragedy is no accident. It is the direct consequence of reckless greed and mismanagement under Pakistan’s military establishment,” he said. “Now, what should have been a bridge of faith has become a monument to exploitation.”
The floods and mismanagement led to the closure of the Kartarpur Corridor, which facilitates cross-border visits by the Sikh pilgrims. The Pakistan government could have restricted the damage to the gurdwara and surrounding villages in Narowal district had it responded to the alerts of cross-border flooding by India. Thousands of stranded people struggled to obtain food and medicine due to the poor disaster management by Pakistani authorities. “We are in great misery. Neither the government nor anyone else has come to inquire about us,” said Mohammad Saleem, a farmer in Narowal.
Several images and videos of submerged gurdwara and stranded people were shared on social media. The gurdwara became inaccessible during the floods, and it could be reached by rescue boats only. “Getting to the gurdwara was no easy task. We hung onto a tractor trolley that was ferrying locals to and from the flooded villages around Kartarpur. We abandoned our vehicle around 1.5 km away on Shakargarh Road and boarded a rescue boat, which took us to the gurdwara itself,” wrote Irfan Aslam and M. Arif, both journalists with news daily Dawn.
Taking serious note of the disastrous floods, the Akal Takht—the highest temporal seat of Sikhism— has sought a report on the damages to the Kartarpur Sahib from the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC). Local Pakistani journalist Shakir Mehmood Awan said “Pakistan’s historically and religiously extremely important site, Kartarpur, where Baba Guru Nanak’s darbar is located, has today been engulfed by water. Floodwaters have filled up to five to eight feet inside the darbar. This situation is extremely alarming not only for the local population but also for the Sikh community worldwide.