Kartarpur Corridor: First group of pilgrims from India expected to come on November 9, says Pak's Mohammed Faisal

Hours after India and Pakistan signed the Kartarpur agreement, Pakistan Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Mohammed Faisal on Thursday said that the first group of pilgrims from India is expected to arrive on November 9.

"The pilgrims who come through the corridor will not require a visa. They will have to carry their passports which will be scanned, but not stamped," The Dawn quoted Faisal as saying.

The corridor connects the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur with Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan.

Adding that local pilgrims will have a pass issued to them, Faisal said, "Under the agreement, the Indian authorities will provide a list of pilgrims 10 days ahead of their visit."

On Thursday, India and Pakistan signed the much-awaited agreement for operationalising the Kartarpur Corridor, paving the way for its inauguration next month ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

The two sides met on "zero line" on the border and signed the agreement. The Indian delegation was led by SCL Das, Joint Secretary (Internal Security) in the Home Ministry and the Pakistani delegation by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mohammed Faisal.

The corridor will facilitate visa-free movement of Indian pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak Dev. Both countries will hold events to mark the opening of their sections of the corridor.

The foundation stone for the Kartarpur corridor was laid down on the Indian side on November 26, 2018. Two days later the foundation stone was laid on the Pakistani side.