Pakistan allows passportless pilgrimage to Kartarpur |
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that his government has waived off two requirements for the Indian pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib through the Kartarpur corridor. He tweeted that “For Sikhs coming for pilgrimage to Kartarpur from India, I have waived off 2 requirements: firstly they won`t need a passport – just a valid ID; and secondly they no longer have to register 10 days in advance. Also, no fee will be charged on the day of inauguration & on Guru Nanak ji`s 550th birthday. His move came after India asked Pakistan not to insist on levying a fee of 20 US dollars per Indian pilgrim. Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had also appealed to the Pakistani side to withdraw the fee and keep it a `khulla darshan deedar` or the open sight for worship. Pakistan has been insisting on the service fee to meet operational costs of the corridor linking the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan`s Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur, Punjab. Last month, India had disapproved the move to impose the fee. On October 22, New Delhi and Islamabad had signed the `Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Agreement` on the zero line at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur to facilitate the visit of Indian pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur.
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