India will invite Pakistan to discuss the blueprint of the Kartarpur corridor finalised by it.
Under the plans drawn up for pilgrims visiting Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, India is likely to cap the number of visitors per day and fix the number of hours a pilgrim can spend at the shrine, which is four kilometres from the Gurdaspur border.
A senior official told The Hindu that the safety of the pilgrims is of utmost importance and India would insist on a sovereign assurance from Pakistan. The official said while the security would be robust on the Indian side, conditions on the Pakistan side were a cause for concern.
In 2014, over 50 people were killed in an attack by the Taliban at Wagah, Pakistan’s border crossing point with India’s Attari.
“We have identified the zero point where the 100-yard corridor would be built on the other side. Pakistan has to agree to this alignment... In all probability, there will be no visa system. We have to finalise the document on which the travel is allowed, whether passport or a permit system. We are in favour of stamping the passport,” the official said.
Sikh bodies have been petitioning both the governments to build a pilgrim corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur to Kartarpur in Pakistani Punjab’s Narowal province. The plan is to complete the project by November 23, 2019, the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
MHA review
A few days ago, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) convened a meeting on the logistics involved in the Kartarpur corridor. A multi-ministerial team also visited the zero point near the Punjab border where the corridor would be constructed.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has been tasked to construct the corridor and a double lane road leading to it. The corridor would be fenced with barbed wire with no outlet midway. On both flanks, mounted Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and foot patrols would provide security on a 24/7 basis.
Online registration
The government is also planning an online system where pilgrims could register and choose the time and date of travel. This is aimed at discouraging large crowds near the corridor.
He said the possibility of Pakistani agencies trying to radicalise Sikh youth was also discussed. “We have to trust our citizens. Moreover, the number of hours a pilgrim can spend in Pakistan will not be sufficient to recruit anyone. We have the passport details of the individuals. In case such a scenario exists, they will be watched upon their return.”
In the event of a pilgrim not returning, he said legal provisions were being examined on whether the person could be booked for violation of the Passport Act.
The official said the items that a person can carry on the pilgrimage will also have to be agreed upon by both countries. Citing the kirpan, the small dagger which is a revered object and carried by devout Sikhs, the official raised concerns on whether both countries would permit it. “There are religious sentiments involved,” he said.
A terminal building with full medical facilities and parking space will also be constructed.
