Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request Pakistan to revise the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries and remove the clause which requires devotees to carry passport to access the Kartarpur Corridor.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. Badal also sought simplification of the documentation and verification process. He said lakhs of Sikh pilgrims wanted to visit Kartarpur Sahib but the cumbersome procedure and the requirement of passports were coming in the way of their visit to the holy site.
“Instead of 5,000 pilgrims slated to visit Kartarpur Sahib, the figure is in few hundreds as majority of devotees who want to go on the pilgrimage do not have passports. The devotees are demanding this clause be struck down,” Mr. Badal said according to a statement released here.
‘Not being stamped’
As per the MoU, a passport is required to undertake the journey even though it was not being stamped, he said.
“A passport is also not needed because restricted access is being given to pilgrims confined to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib only,” he pointed out.
Mr. Badal said there were “confusing signals” from Pakistan on this issue.
“Though Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that a passport was not required for pilgrims, the military establishment has asserted that this is a pre-condition and only pilgrims with valid passports are being allowed,” he said.
