In a major development, India and Pakistan agreed to extend the validity of the Agreement on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for a further period of five years. The Agreement, signed on 24 October 2019 to facilitate the visit of pilgrims from India to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Narowal, Pakistan through the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, was valid for a period of five years.
According to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the extension of the validity of this Agreement will ensure uninterrupted operation of the Corridor for use by pilgrims from India to visit the holy Gurdwara in Pakistan.
In view of the continued requests of pilgrims regarding the removal of USD 20 service charge levied by Pakistan per pilgrim per visit, India has once again urged Pakistan to not levy any fee or charges on the pilgrims, it said.
Notably, the major diplomatic solution came nearly a week after EAM S Jaishankar visited Islamabad where he attended the Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO) meeting.
Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Agreement
Sri Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, had spent more than 18 years of his life at the gurdwara Kartarpur, located on the banks of the river Ravi.
India and Pakistan signed a landmark agreement in 2019 to operationalise the historic Kartarpur Corridor to allow Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the holy Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, notwithstanding a chill in bilateral ties.
The same year both countries agreed on visa-free travel of Indian pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib using the Kartarpur Corridor. Pilgrims will only have to carry their passports to visit the revered Gurdwara in Pakistan.
Persons of Indian origin holding OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card too can visit the Gurdwara using the Kartarpur Corridor.
It was also decided that 5,000 pilgrims could visit the shrine every day and that additional pilgrims would be allowed on special occasions, subject to capacity expansion of facilities by the Pakistani side. India and Pakistan also decided that the corridor would be operational throughout the year and seven days a week and that pilgrims, except kids and elderly persons, would have a choice to visit it as individuals or in groups.
(With inputs from agencies)
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