Kartarpur U-turn: Pakistan Army snubs Imran Khan, says Sikh pilgrims will need passport
Islamabad/IBNS: In a significant U-turn and showcasing the domination of Pakistan Army over the country's government of the day, military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor on Wednesday said that Indian Sikh pilgrims would require a passport to visit Kartarpur Corridor. Later India's External Affairs Ministry also confirmed the same.
Pakistan PM Imran Khan had earlier announced that Indian Sikh pilgrims visiting Kartarpur will only need a valid ID to visit the revered Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.
“As we have a security link, the entry would be a legal one under a permit on a passport-based identity. There will be no compromise on security or sovereignty,” Gen Ghafoor said while talking on a private TV channel as reported by Dawn News.
The corridor will be inaugurated on Saturday.
Khan on Nov 1 tweeted: " For Sikhs coming for pilgrimage to Kartarpur from India, I have waived off 2 requirements: i) they wont need a passport - just a valid ID; ii) they no longer have to register 10 days in advance. Also, no fee will be charged on day of inauguration & on Guruji's 550th birthday."
Meanwhile, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday clarified that Indian pilgrims visiting Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan's Punjab province will require a valid passport.
"Pakistan's statement has been contradictory. Indian pilgrims will have to carry passport as per the bilateral document or MoU signed by the two countries as of now till it is amended in future to include other provisions," said MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.
What is the Kartarpur Corridor?
Kartarpur is a small town in district Narowal, 4 km from the Pakistan- India border, where the founder of the Sikh religion, Baba Guru Nanak spent the last 18 years of his life.
Subsequently, Gurdwara Darbar Sahab was built at the site on the Pakistan side and Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak in India, which are visited by thousands of Sikhs every year.
As per the Pakistan Foreign Office statement released earlier: "Opening the corridor will allow Sikh Yatrees ease of access for their most reverential place of worship which has been their longstanding demand. This is also reflective of the importance and primacy that Pakistan gives to all minorities."
For Sikhs coming for pilgrimage to Kartarpur from India, I have waived off 2 requirements: i) they wont need a passport - just a valid ID; ii) they no longer have to register 10 days in advance. Also, no fee will be charged on day of inauguration & on Guruji's 550th birthday
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 1, 2019
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