CM hails Pak move to allow pilgrims without permit
Monday, 15/07/2019
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CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday welcomed Pakistan’s decision to remove the requirement of a separate permit to allow pilgrims to travel through the corridor to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, as had been demanded by him.
In a press release, the CM said the Centre should press the Pakistan government for accepting his other key demands of waiving of passport to facilitate devotees from the rural areas and increasing in the daily limit of pilgrims to enable ‘open darshan’ to mark the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of first Sikh master Guru Nanak in November.
“Even as Pakistan has now agreed to 5,000 devotees a day as against its earlier proposal of 500 the number needs to be further raised, at least on special occasions, in view of the huge demand likely from Sikhs and other devotees from around the world,” the chief minister further said.
“The historic corridor would not serve its full potential unless Pakistan agrees to become more flexible with regards to the various issues raised by me to enable all the pilgrims to visit the shrine,” he added.
The CM also hailed the neighbouring country’s decision to allow the overseas citizen of India (OCI) and people of Indianorigin (PIO) card holders as urged earlier by him to allow to visit the gurdwara across the border.
“Pakistan, which has also conceded to India’s demand to build a bridge over the Ravi, has taken some steps forward. But I urge the Indian government to engage more closely with them to secure their agreement on other demands I have been raising,” he added.
The chief minister also reiterated his demand for a special package from the Indian government to make the birth anniversary celebrations truly historic.
