Kartarpur Corridor: India, Pakistan renew pact for another five years, but...
PTC News Desk: India and Pakistan have agreed to renew the agreement on the Kartarpur corridor for another five years. The development comes days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Pakistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO meeting.
But, Islamabad continues to charge a fee of $20 per pilgrim, per visit.
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, also known as Kartarpur Sahib, is one of the holiest places for Sikhs. This is because Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev, preached there for the last eighteen years of his life.
Following India's partition in 1947, Kartarpur Sahib fell on the Pakistani side of the international border. With India accounting for more than 95% of all Sikhs worldwide, pilgrims from all over India have long desired access to Kartarpur Sahib, located in Shakargarh Tehsil, Narowal District, Punjab Province, Pakistan.
On October 24, 2019, India and Pakistan agreed to permit pilgrimage from India to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur via the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor. This was initially signed for five years. This has now been renewed for another five years.
"It has been agreed between India and Pakistan through diplomatic channels to extend the validity of the Agreement on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for five years," MEA said. "Extension of the validity of this agreement will ensure uninterrupted operation of the Corridor for use by the pilgrims from India to visit the holy Gurdwara in Pakistan."
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also announced it on social media platform X, stating, "India and Pakistan have renewed the agreement on Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for the next five years. PM @narendramodi's government will continue to facilitate our Sikh community's access to their holy sites."
- PTC NEWS
