Pakistan considering passport-free entry of Indian pilgrims through Kartarpur Corridor: Interior minister

Ijaz Shah says proposal for entry without passport to attract more visitors; detailed input may be sought from the foreign affairs ministry

Pakistan is considering a proposal for allowing Indian pilgrims to enter the Kartarpur Corridor without a passport to attract more visitors to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, interior minister Ijaz Shah informed the country’s parliament.

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Last November, Pakistan and India separately inaugurated the historic corridor on their sides of the border. The corridor provides the shortest route to Indian Sikh pilgrims to the revered shrine dedicated to the founder of the faith, Guru Nanak, who spent the last 18 years of his life in Kartarpur area that is in Pakistan’s Narowal district today.

Interior minister Shah told the national assembly during question hour on Friday that at present, passport-free entry of Indian pilgrims to the Kartarpur Corridor is not allowed in accordance with a memorandum of understanding signed between Pakistan and India, the Express Tribune reported.

However, he added, a proposal for giving the entry without passport, to attract more visitors, is under consideration, for which a detailed input might be sought from the foreign affairs ministry.

“As per the procedure, pilgrims could visit the corridor from dawn till dusk after producing Indian passport or overseas citizen of Indian-origin card along with the passport of resident country,” he said.

He added that the movement of Indian visitors was regulated through a combination of physical and electronic security systems by the Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) along with other law-enforcement agencies.

“Visitors are strictly kept inside the gurdwara complex by using turnstile gates to avoid their exit toward the Pakistani side. All activities in and around the corridor are monitored through surveillance cameras,” he was quoted as saying.

Details of issuance of national identity cards to foreigners was also presented in the House.

The interior ministry said that 1,637 foreigners were issued national identity cards from 2009-12, while 474 were issued the cards from 2013-18.