Pakistan reopens Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh devotees; India terms it ‘mirage of goodwill’

Pakistan on Monday re-opened the Kartarpur Sahib Pilgrim Corridor for devotees to pay visits in compliance with the SOPs of social distancing. Yatrees from Pakistan and India are now allowed to visit the shrine that was closed for the public since March 16 in the wake of Coronavirus pandemic. Special Ardas will also be held at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur.

On Saturday, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tweeted: “As places of worship open up across the world, Pakistan prepares to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for all Sikh pilgrims, conveying to the Indian side our readiness to reopen the corridor on 29 June 2020, the occasion of the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh.”

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The ETPB and PSGPC of Pakistan have made special arrangements to ensure the safety of yatris, Pakistan has claimed.

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Pakistan creating a ‘mirage of goodwill’

However, India said that Pakistan was trying to create a ‘mirage of goodwill’ by reopening the Kartarpur Corridor for the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

As per New Delhi, Islamabad did not follow the procedure laid down for the reopening of the corridor, adding that a “short notice of two days” is insufficient to organise the logistics for the pilgrims. The bilateral agreement between the two countries on the Corridor states that both countries must share the information at least seven days before the date of travel.

India also expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of infrastructure on the Pakistani side of the border in ensuring a comfortable journey of the pilgrims.

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