India said on Saturday that it has not yet decided to open its part of the Kartarpur Corridor, which allows Indian pilgrims visa-free access to Durbar Sahib gurdwara, following Pakistan’s decision to open its side of the corridor.
New Delhi also asked Islamabad to build the necessary infrastructure, including a bridge, for the safe movement of pilgrims on a stretch that floods during the rainy season.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs issued a notification for the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor on Friday following an improvement in the Covid-19 situation. According to Pakistani media reports, the notification said that Indian pilgrims could visit the gurdwara from sunrise to sunset.
In response to media inquiries about Pakistan’s move, Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said that the movement of pilgrims through the corridor was suspended due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
“We remain in contact with all interested authorities, including the ministries of the interior and of health and family welfare. A decision would be made on the reopening of the corridor in accordance with the Covid protocol and the easing of the restrictions, ”he said.
Srivastava noted that at the time of the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor last year and in the bilateral agreement signed in October 2019, it was decided that both parties would “establish the necessary infrastructure, including the construction of a bridge on the Budhi Ravi Canal to as soon as possible, for and movement of pilgrims without problems ”.
He said: “A year from now, Pakistan still has to build the bridge while it is ready at the end. A technical meeting with Pakistan was also facilitated and two teams met on August 27, 2020. However, there is no progress on [the] part of Pakistan “.
The 4.7 km Kartarpur corridor connects Dera Baba Nanak in India’s Gurdaspur district with Durbar Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan’s Kartarpur. The gurdwara is located on the site where Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, spent the last years of his life.
India had gone ahead with the opening of the corridor last year to respect the sentiments of the Sikh community despite strong misgivings about various measures taken by the Pakistani side, including imposing a $ 20 service fee on each pilgrim, and security concerns.
After the corridor closed in March, Pakistan had offered to reopen it in June. Pakistan has also opened its section of the corridor on the occasion of some Sikh festivals.
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