Pak immigration office comes up at Kartarpur

ISLAMABAD : Pakistan has set up a border check post with an immigration office in the Kartarpur section of the border with India in Narowal district, officials have said.

Mufakhar Adeel, deputy director of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which oversees immigration matters in Pakistan, told the Dawn newspaper that the immigration office is located near the Kartarpur Gurdwara, which was built at the site where Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, died.

He said since the border crossing could be an easy target for terrorists, human traffickers and drug dealers, a strong mechanism is required to keep the situation under control on both sides of the border.

Adeel said his officers will check the documents of pilgrims and identify them through biometric technology.

He said Sikh pilgrims having visas will be allowed to enter Kartarpur town while pilgrims with permits will be given access only to the gurdwara.

India and Pakistan recently launched work on their respective sections of a corridor that will allow Indian pilgrims to visit the gurdwara without visas.

The corridor is expected to open for the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November 2019 and the two countries will work out modalities for permits that will be issued to pilgrims to visit the shrine.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that his government and the army wanted a “civilised relationship” with India and declared that Islamabad would move two steps forward if New Delhi took one step.

Khan cited examples of France and Germany which fought many wars but eventually came closer.