India to sign Kartarpur Corridor Agreement with Pakistan on October 23
India on Monday has decided to go ahead with the agreement on Kartarpur Sahib Corridor with Pakistan on October 23.
"In view of the long pending demand of pilgrims to have visa free access to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib and in the interest of operationalisation of Kartarpur Corridor in time before 12 Nov, Government conveys that we would be ready to sign Agreement on Kartarpur Sahib Corridor on 23 October," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
The MEA said that while agreeing to sign the Agreement, the Government of Pakistan has been once again urged to reconsider its insistence to levy service fee of $20 on pilgrims.
"It is a matter of disappointment that while understanding has been reached on most of the elements for facilitating the visit of pilgrims from India, Pakistan continues to insist on levying a service fee of USD 20 per pilgrim per visit," the MEA said.
India would be ready to amend the Agreement accordingly at any time.
The government has taken the initiative to put in place the state of art infrastructure and open the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor on the auspicious occasion of the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev ji so that the pilgrims from India and those holding Overseas Citizen of India Card can undertake visit to the holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib, currently in Pakistan," the MEA statement read.
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