Punjab CM writes to Rajnath Singh, seeks passport waiver for Sri Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara pilgrims

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, seeking passport waiver for the pilgrims who will be visiting the historic Sri Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan during 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev.

"The condition of mandatory passport for devotees seeking to cross the Kartarpur Corridor should be waived off to facilitate them to visit the historic gurdwara located in Pakistani territory," Chief Minister Singh stated on Tuesday in the letter to the Home Minister, asking for "a simple procedure to facilitate 'Khulle Darshan Deedar' of Sri Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in keeping with the traditional Sikh 'Ardas' (prayer)."

Punjab Chief Minister Singh has also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Central government to "create adequate infrastructure at the border crossing to handle the large number of pilgrims who would want to use the corridor for 'Darshan' of Kartarpur Sahib. The land proposed to be acquired should factor in both present and future requirements."

A spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said Chief Minister Captain Amarinder has, in his letter, suggested to the Central Government that any other valid government documents such as the Aadhaar card may be used in place of Passport for the identification to enable maximum pilgrims to visit the sacred Gurdwara Sahib.

Noting that Union Ministry of Home Affairs must currently be engaged in working out the operational modalities of Kartarpur corridor to be opened as part of 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev in 2019, the Punjab CM also suggested that the system to be applied should also provide for both, day-to-day prayers and 'Akhand and Sehaj Paths' which the devotees may like to undertake at Sri Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba also on Tuesday held a meeting with senior officials including BSF DG RK Mishra and Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Singh Avtar on the issue of Kartarpur corridor here.

The meeting, which was held at the North Block, discussed an array of issues related to Kartarpur Corridor. The other officials who attended the meeting included Punjab DGP, Intelligence, Dinkar Gupta, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria and NHAI officials.

The Kartarpur route along India-Pakistan border is three kilometres away from Gurdaspur in Punjab. Once functional, the corridor would allow Sikh pilgrims direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Dev died in 1539 after spending the last 18 years of his life.