Pak yet to clear names, other modalities for Kartarpur event
GREY AREAS List of dignitaries who will be part of first jatha to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib not approved yet; it’s also not clear whether pilgrims will need passports to undertake the journey
other dignitaries who are part of the inaugural jatha or batch that is expected to undertake the pilgrimage on November 9, three days before the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism. Kartarpur is the Sikh guru’s resting place.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent tweet that Indian Sikh pilgrims wouldn’t require a passport to use the corridor has created “absolute confusion”, said a person who declined to be named. The MOU states all pilgrims have to have passports. “There has been no offer from Pakistan to amend the MOU in light of Imran Khan’s tweet. The pilgrims are therefore unsure of the documents they need to carry,” the person said.
On November 1, Khan tweeted: “For Sikhs coming for pilgrimage to Kartarpur from India, I have waived off 2 requirements: i) they won’t need a passport - just a valid ID; ii) they no longer have to register 10 days in advance.”
Though several prominent dignitaries are part of the inaugural jatha, Pakistan has not allowed an Indian advance team to visit Kartarpur to assess the arrangements made there, the people said. Pakistan has also unilaterally decided the programme and timing of this jatha without considering India’s inputs, they added.
Pakistan’s refusal to extend full cooperation goes against the spirit of the pilgrimage, they said.