Islamabad — Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted that no fee would be charged from Indian pilgrims on the opening day of the Kartarpur corridor on November 9. He also declared that Sikh pilgrims from India would not need a passport to travel to Kartarpur.
“For Sikhs coming for pilgrimage to Kartarpur from India, I have waived off two requirements: i) they won’t need a passport-just a valid ID; ii)they no longer have to register 10 days in advance. Also, no fee to be charged on day of inauguration and on Guruji’s 550th birthday,” Imran Khan tweeted.
The Kartarpur corridor connects the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the corridor in Gurdaspur on November 9 while Imran Khan will declare it open from the other end.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh thanked Mr Khan for the waiver but also urged him to extend the concessions applicable to non-Sikh Indian citizens too.
The Kartarpur corridor will connect the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab with Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, just about four km from the International Border, located at Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province.It is the place where the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev is believed to have spent the last 18 years of his life.
India has objected to a $20 service charge Pakistan intends to impose on Sikh pilgrims. Disagreement over the issue even led to a delay in launching online registration for pilgrims intending to visit the shrine.
