Prevail upon Pak to junk passport clause, Sukhbir urges PM

CHANDIGARH : Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to persuade Pakistan to revise the pact signed between the two countries and remove the clause on requirement of passport to access the Kartarpur corridor besides simplification of the documentation and verification process.

In a press statement, Sukhbir, who has written to the PM on this issue, said lakhs of Sikh devotees wanted to visit Kartarpur Sahib but the cumbersome procedure coupled with the requirement of passport was coming in the way of their pilgrimage to the holy site.

“Instead of 5,000 pilgrims slated to visit Kartarpur Sahib, the figure is in few hundred as majority of those who want to go on the pilgrimage do not have passports. The devotees are demanding this clause be struck down,” he said.

The SAD chief said as per the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the Pakistan and Indian governments a passport was required to undertake the journey even though it was not being stamped and an entry/exit slip was being issued to all pilgrims. “A passport is also not needed because restricted access is being given to pilgrims confined to Gurdwara

› There are confusing signals from Pakistan on the issue. Though PM Khan announced passport was not required for pilgrims, the army said it was a pre-condition. SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL, SAD chief

Darbar Sahib only,” the Akali Dal leader said.

“There are confusing signals from Pakistan on the issue. Though PM Imran Khan announced that a passport was not required for pilgrims, the military establishment asserted that this is a pre-condition,” he said.

The SAD president said he has received representations from several pilgrims for removal of this condition. People from rural areas, especially the elderly, feel that making a passport is an unnecessary expenditure since they are not likely to use it for foreign travel, he added.