A planned march by Nihang Sikhs into Uttarakhand has been put on hold after overnight negotiations with the state administration ended a tense border standoff.

While the protesters have returned to Paonta Sahib in Himachal Pradesh, they insist the agitation is only suspended, not over and have given the government two days to address their key demand: the release of four Nihang members arrested after the Karnaprayag clash.

Why did the Nihangs call off their march?

The breakthrough came after hours of discussions between senior police officials and leaders of the Nihang Jatha at the Uttarakhand-Himachal Pradesh border. The group agreed to temporarily suspend its march and return to Paonta Sahib under police escort after the administration sought two days to respond to its demands.

"They have accepted our demands and said that they agree on it. They have given us 2-day time and said that they will then make us meet the Nihang Sikhs who are under house arrest...We will not go back as of now, as soon as the Nihang Sikhs are released and brought to us, we will go with them to Uttarakhand and then return directly to Punjab," Nihang Jatha leader Jagdeep Singh Akali told reporters.

The agreement ended a confrontation that had escalated after some protesters breached police barricades at the Kulhal checkpoint while attempting to move towards Dehradun.

What triggered the protest and why are the arrests controversial?

The protest stems from the June 16 violence at Karnaprayag market in Chamoli district, where a clash between locals and Nihang Sikhs left several people injured. Police later arrested four Nihang members, a move the sect has described as "one-sided" and unfair.

The issue has since sparked a series of protests. Days after the arrests, a group of Nihangs occupied the roof of Nagarasu Gurdwara on the Badrinath Highway and allegedly held an elderly man hostage, demanding the release of those arrested. The standoff ended earlier this week after negotiations with the administration and gurdwara management.

What happens next?

Although the immediate crisis at the border has eased, the dispute remains unresolved. A five-member Nihang delegation has already met Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and senior police officials to press for action, while the state has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Karnaprayag violence.

For now, the administration has a two-day window to find a resolution. If no breakthrough is reached, the Nihang leadership has warned that the march towards Uttarakhand could resume.

With PTI inputs