India and Pakistan on Tuesday decided, through diplomatic channels, to extend the validity of the agreement on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for a further period of five years.
The agreement, signed on October 24, 2019 to facilitate the visit of pilgrims from India to Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Narowal, Pakistan through the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, was valid for a period of five years.
“Extension of the validity of this agreement will ensure uninterrupted operation of the corridor for use by the pilgrims from india to visit the holy Gurudwara in Pakistan,” stated the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
In view of the continued requests of pilgrims regarding the removal of the USD 20 service charge levied by Pakistan per pilgrim visit, New Delhi once again urged Islamabad to not levy any fee or charges on the pilgrims.
The agreement, inter alia, provides for visa-free travel of Indian pilgrims, as well as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders, from India to Gurudwara Shri Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan on a daily basis, throughout the year. To facilitate the visit of pilgrims, a modern infrastructure, including a highway from the town of Dera Baba Nanak to Zero Point and an Integrated Check Post (ICP) has been built on the Indian side. The CEO of the Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is appointed by Pakistani authorities.
On November 9, 2019, Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan officially inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor, a cross-border route allowing Indian Sikhs to visit Pakistan without a visa. On the same day, the first group (Jatha) of over 500 Indian pilgrims crossed the border to visit the shrine, expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Khan for “honoring India’s sentiments” towards the holy site, which is the final resting place of Sikhism’s founder, Guru Nanak Dev.
Led by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, the first Jatha made their way through the corridor to offer prayers at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. The group included former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his wife Gursharan Kaur, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sunny Deol, and 150 Indian parliamentarians.
Since its inauguration in November 2019, the Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor has been used by nearly 2,50,000 pilgrims to visit Gurudwara Sri Darbar Sahib Kartarpur.
