Indian Sikhs won’t need passport for Kartarpur Corridor, says Pak PM Imran Khan

• There will be no visa or passport requirement to visit Kartarpur Corridor, said Imran Khan.
  
• The Indian pilgrims will not have to register for 10 days in advance to visit the place.
  
• Imran Khan also waived off the fee on the day of inauguration and on 550th birthday of Guru Nanak Ji
  

There will be no visa or passport requirement to visit the pilgrim site Kartarpur Corridor, announced Pakistan PM Imran Khan. However, they will need to carry a valid ID. He added that pilgrims don't need to register 10 days in advance, either. The visit will also be free on the day of inauguration and on Guruji's 550th birthday.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the state-of-the-art Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) at Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab on November 9. Both the countries have already signed an agreement for Kartarpur Corridor.

The much-awaited corridor will connect the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur, Punjab, with the gurdwara at Kartarpur. It is four kilometres from the international border, located at Shakargarh in Narowal district of Pakistan's Punjab province.

Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, had spent more than 18 years of his life at the Darbar Sahib gurdwara in Kartarpur, Pakistan. It is located on the banks of the river Ravi, making it one of the holiest sites for devotees.

Spanning over an area of around 2.5 lakh sq feet, the terminal will have a facilitation centre to host government officials responsible for ensuring hassle-free travel of pilgrims, food kiosks, parking areas and security points.

The Indian government had acquired 50 acres land for the project and which can accommodate 5,000 passengers.

Persons of Indian origin holding OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) card too can visit the gurdwara using the Kartarpur Corridor.

Both countries had agreed to allow 5,000 pilgrims every day and that additional pilgrims will be allowed on special occasions, subject to capacity expansion by of facilities by Pakistan side.

India and Pakistan had earlier decided that the corridor would be operational throughout the year and seven days a week, and that pilgrims would have a choice to visit as individuals or in groups.

In November 2018, India and Pakistan had agreed to set up the border crossing linking Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur to Dera Baba Nanak.

(With inputs from PTI)

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