India and Pakistan have agreed to Visa-Free travel for Indian pilgrims through the Kartarpur corridor based on their faith. However, no agreement has been signed yet. According to a government statement, anyone holding an Indian passport and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) will be allowed to go visa-free. The corridor will be open throughout the year and pilgrims will have a choice to travel either in groups, as an individual, or on foot. 

The third round of talks on the modalities of the operationalization of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor was held on Wednesday at the Attari checkpoint in Punjab. The briefing was led by the Joint Secretary, Home Affairs, SCL Das. In the briefing, it was revealed that Pakistan has allowed 5,000 pilgrims to visit Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara through the corridor everyday. Additional pilgrims beyond this number will be able to visit only on certain special occasions, like Baishakhi. This will also be subjected to Pakistan’s capacity to expand the number.

Also read: Pak to issue multiple, on-arrival visas to Sikh pilgrims: PM Khan

India-Pak agree to a crossing point 

According to Das, India and Pakistan have agreed to build a bridge at Budhi Ravi Channel. As the construction of the bridge is pending on Pakistan’s side, they have agreed to a temporary service road which is to be built for the pilgrimage that will commence in November this year. Furthermore, Pakistan has agreed to make sufficient provisions at a request for the preparation and distribution of langar and prasad for the pilgrims. 

Securing Safety

India and Pakistan have also agreed upon emergency evacuation procedures, especially medical emergencies. They have also agreed to a direct line of communication between the Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers. Along with this, both sides are focused on securing the safety of the pilgrims. India has shared its concerns regarding individuals or organizations based in Pakistan, who may try to disrupt the pilgrimage and misuse the opportunity to play with the sentiments of people. During the briefing, Das stated that India has already given a dossier highlighting the concerns of this issue during the second meeting.

Also read: Amit Shah reiterates: 'Will build Kartarpur corridor within timeframe'

Requests made by India 

While India and Pakistan have come to terms and made an agreement on several things related to the Kartarpur corridor, there are still a few pending issues. Pakistan has insisted on charging a service fee to allow pilgrims to visit the Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib. However, India finds this extremely repugnant as the pilgrims are based on faith. Even after several requests, Pakistan side has stuck to the decision, said Das during the briefing. India also wants protocol officials to accompany the pilgrims to ensure their facilitation. However, Pakistan has shown an unwillingness to allow the presence of protocol officials from India. The Indian delegation has strongly urged Pakistan to reconsider their stance on both these issues.

Also read: Kartarpur Corridor: India Pak officials discuss technical details

Infrastructural developments

The Pakistan side has highlighted their infrastructural constraints and conveyed that they may be able to set it up in due course. India, on the other hand, has made consistent progress in setting up the state of the art infrastructure. The Joint Secretary of Home Affairs highlighted the passenger terminal and stated that the construction of the building will be completed by the end of October this year. The building has the capacity to handle at least 15,000 pilgrims on a daily basis, he revealed. Along with this, the work on the four-lane highway to the crossing point at the international boundary is also making satisfactory progress. The highway is said to be completed by the end of September this year. “The work of both the projects is monitored and reviewed daily,” said Das. He also added that a robust security architecture has also been finalized and will be put in place before the operationalization of the corridor.

According to the government statement, all facilities from the Indian side will be ready for the pilgrimage through the Kartarpur corridor on the auspicious occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

Also read: J&K's Article 370 scrapped: Pakistan to continue Kartarpur talks despite downgrading diplomatic ties, Khalistani elements in Pak panel