Fully vaccinated pilgrims can visit Kartarpur, clarifies Pak

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 22

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) of Pakistan has issued a notification clarifying that the movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, through the corridor, was not restricted from Pakistan’s side.

In the backdrop, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, while replying to Congress MP Gurjit Singh Aujila’s query on the Kartarpur corridor, had stated in the Lok Sabha that the Pakistan National Command and Operations Centre had banned all travel from India, citing the surge in Covid-19 cases since April 2021.

Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Satwant Singh said the matter was taken up with the Pakistan Government, following which the NCOC issued a clarification and Covid-19 guidelines to be adopted by the pilgrims on the occasion of death anniversary of Guru Nanak at Gurdwara Kartarpur, the final resting place of the Guru. The event falls on September 22 and the PSGPC has scheduled programmes between September 20 and 22.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan and PSGPC have been told to ensure not more than 300 pilgrims were present at a time at the gurdwara.

The corridor, which allows for visitors from India to cross the border without a visa to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Kartarpur, has been closed by India since March 15 as part of measures to stop the spread of Covid. While Pakistan opened it on October 2, 2020, India is yet to take a decision.

Amid appeals from the Indian side to reopen the corridor, the PSGPC has extended a special invitation to the SGPC, CM Capt Amarinder Singh and PCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu to lead a ‘jatha’ for the occasion.

Only fully vaccinated individuals, possessing a valid certificate, will be allowed to enter Pakistan through the corridor or the Attari-Wagah border. Also, a negative RT-PCR test report, minimum 72 hours prior to crossing over the border, would be mandatory for all.

Negative RT-PCR report also must

• Only fully vaccinated pilgrims, with a valid certificate, will be allowed to enter Pakistan through the corridor or the Attari-Wagah border
• Also, a negative RT-PCR test report, minimum 72 hours prior to crossing over the border, would be mandatory for all