Pakistan High Commission 'lost' 23 Indian passports issued to visit Kartarpur Corridor

In the first security scare ever since the Kartarpur groundbreaking, Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has allegedly ‘lost’ 23 Indian passports of Indian nationals from Sikh community who wanted to go on a pilgrimage. 

Earlier Pakistan had issued 3800 visas to Sikh Pilgrims but lost 23 passports out of them. 

Indian agencies are probing the matter but have asked Ministry of External Affairs to begin the process to cancel these passports immediately. Agencies fear that Pakistan could misuse these passports against India in the future. 

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Pakistan High Commission has earlier been blamed for not just espionage but also giving visa to few individuals from Jammu and Kashmir for terror training in Pakistan.

Finding itself in an ambivalent spot ever since its foundation, Kartarpur Corridor has drawn controversies within the country as well as across the border in Pakistan. 

In a series of controversies, another one came from the Pakistan President,  Arif-ur-Rehman Alvi, on December 3, who after a few days after Pakistan Foreign Minister's 'googly remark' against the groundbreaking ceremony of Kartarpur Corridor, called this move a 'great chaal' 

He said, "The way Mr. Sidhu has spoken about peace with Pakistan, I think this will raise many such voices for peace. This is a very good strategic move. If you know how to play chess, nowadays people don't play it, but if you know the game then there are chaals (strategies). Player analyzes opponent's next move and then decide his next chaal. Kartarpur was a great chaal."  

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On the contrary, Pakistan High Commission on Sunday, December 9 said it has issued visas to 139 Indian pilgrims to visit Katas Raj Dham, the famous Shiva temple, in the country’s Punjab province.

Under the framework of a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan every year. Pakistani pilgrims also visit India every year under the protocol. Pakistan’s High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood stated that the issuance of visas for yet another group of pilgrims from India was consistent with Government’s of Pakistan’s policy of promoting visits to religious shrines and was a reflection of its commitment to faithfully implement the 1974 Protocol, the High Commission said in a release.