Pakistan has set a host of terms and conditions for the operationalisation of the Kartarpur corridor and opposed India’s proposals to make it open throughout the year to facilitate travel to one of the holiest pilgrimage sites of the Sikhs, officials said Saturday.
Pakistan said pilgrims would be allowed to visit Kartarpuronly under a special permit regime and on charging a fee against India’sproposal for visa-free and no-fee travel, a government official said.
India has proposed that besides Indian nationals, OverseasIndian Card (OIC) holders should be allowed to go for the pilgrimage. ButPakistan said that only Indian citizens would be allowed.
India suggested that the corridor should be allowed for useseven days a week and 365 days in a year but Pakistan said it would be allowedonly on “visiting days”.
New Delhi said 5,000 visitors should be allowed every daybut Islamabad said not more than 700 pilgrims would be allowed, the officialsaid.
Pakistan has not responded to India’s proposal to allow10,000 visitors on special days. India said individual or people in groupsshould be allowed but Pakistan said only groups of at least 15 people would beallowed.
Pakistan did not agree to India’s proposal to construct abridge over the Ravi river and also did not respond to India’s proposal toallow travelers to visit Kartarpur Sahib on foot.
Despite Pakistan’s “non-cooperation”, constructionwork on the Kartarpur Sahib corridor was going on in full swing and on schedulefor completing the project well before November 12, 2019, the 550th birthanniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, another official said.