India halts registrations, no Kartarpur pact yet

Pak adamant on charging $20 per pilgrim

In the absence of any agreement signed between India and Pakistan on the Kartrapur Corridor, the Indian government postponed the registration process of pilgrims for Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, which was due to begin on Sunday.

However, with Pakistan adamant on charging a $20 fee from pilgrims visiting Kartarpur Sahib via the corridor, the Indian side is not keen to hurry in signing the pact. India and Pakistan were to sign the pact on Saturday, that did not happen. It is learnt that the Indian officials who are part of the negotiations are continuing to engage with the Pakistanis to convince them to remove the $20 fee.

Sources close to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made it clear there was no question of Dr Singh attending the Kartarpur Corridor inauguration in Pakistan.

Sources said he will go as part of a jatha as a normal pilgrim.

In the absence of any agreement signed by India and Pakistan on the Kartrapur Corridor, the Indian government has postponed the registration process of pilgrims for Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. The registration process was to begin on Sunday.

However, with Pakistan adamant on charging $20 fee from pilgrims visiting Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara using the corridor, the Indian side is not keen to hurry in signing the pact. India and Pakistan were to sign the agreement on Saturday which did not happen. It is learnt that the Indian officials who are part of the negotiations are continuing to engage with their Pakistani counterparts to convince them to remove the condition of $20.

“Since some issues are yet to be resolved, the online registration for the Kartarpur pilgrimage could not be started on Sunday,” said an official.

India has been constantly objecting to the $20 fee which Pakistan claims it will use for infrastructure maintenance and providing others facilities to the pilgrims. The Indian side maintains that any amount charged is against the spirit of the goodwill that Pakistan is trying to create by opening the corridor. India also feels that this can lead to charging higher amount from Indian pilgrims in future.

“The Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is an important people to people initiative taken by India to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji. After several rounds of discussion with Pakistan, we have reached an agreement on all other issues, except the matter of Service Fee. Pakistan insists on levying a fee of $20 (approx. `1,420) on all pilgrims. We have urged Pakistan not to do so in the interests of devotees, and also because this is a P2P (people to people) initiative” spokesperson for ministry of external affairs Raveesh Kumar had said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, sources close to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh made it clear that there is no question of Mr Singh attending the inauguration ceremony.