Pakistan 'continues' to levy $20 on Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib pilgrims: MoS

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Chandigarh/New Delhi, December 10

The Pakistan government continues to charge a fee of $20 from every pilgrim for visiting Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara despite being “consistent” requests by the Indian Government.

Govt should bear the burden

What the Government of India is doing to ease the financial burden on our visitors. Either they need to follow it up with the Pakistan government or should bear the burden of the entire fee. Manish Tewari, MP

This has been said by Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs V Muraleedharan in reply to a question raised by Congress Member of Parliament Manish Tewari during the ongoing Lok Sabha session on Friday. MP Tewari’s question was in reference to the pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib through the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor. The corridor was operationalised on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev following an agreement between the two governments on October 24, 2019. Since its inauguration on November 9, 2019, more than 2.30 lakh pilgrims have visited the gurdwara till date through the corridor which remains open on all days.

Muraleedharan said the agreement provides for a visa-free travel of pilgrims as well as Overseas Citizen of India cardholders to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib on a daily basis throughout the year.

The Indian Government charges only visa fee from all applicants from Pakistan when they come there, the minister added.

Tewari said, “I had asked what the government was doing to ease the financial burden on our visitors. Either, they needed to follow up with the Pakistan government with renewed energy to get the travel fee waived, or the Indian government should bear the burden of the entire fee.”