Admit to having PoWs from 1971 war and release them: Amarinder to Pak

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Friday urged Pakistan to admit to, and release, the Prisoners of War (PoWs) in its captivity from the 1971 war.

In an informal chat with media persons as part of his tour of border areas in the wake of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pulwama terror attack, he urged the central government to take up the matter with Islamabad.

Meanwhile, Singh expressed happiness over the fact that talks to thrash out the modalities for the Kartarpur Corridor were on track despite the tensions. He, however, urged the Centre to allow 5,000-10,000 pilgrims to cross through every day once the corridor becomes operational.

On compensation to people whose land was acquired for the corridor, the chief minister said the state government will raise the issue with the Centre.

Singh, who went around Haruwal village in Gurdaspur district as part of his tour of the border villages to instill confidence among the residents, said he would be the first to cross the border to pay obeisance at the historic Gurdwara.

The corridor will facilitate easy passage to Sikh pilgrims to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur.

Gurdwara Darbar Sahib is located on the banks of Ravi river in Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Dev, founder of Sikhism, is said to have spent 18 years of his life.

On the prevailing tension between the two nations, Singh assured the residents that there was no need for panic or fear as the armed forces were fully prepared to deal with the situation.

During his tour, the chief minister also shared a cup of tea with the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at the BSF border observation post in Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdaspur.

He was also briefed by DIG Border Range and Deputy Commissioner Gurdaspur regarding the steps taken for the safety and security of border dwellers.

Enquiring about the police preparedness, the senior Congress leader asked the Punjab Armed Police commandos at Dera Baba Nanak police station to keep a tight vigil and act as a strong second line of defence to the Army.