Pakistan misusing Kartapur corridor for business, intelligence meetings

Islamabad, April 21: In a major development, it is being reported that Pakistan is misusing the Kartapur Corridor to gain contact with Indians going on the pilgrimage. The Kartapur corridor connects the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in the neighboring nation to Gurudwara Dera Baba Nanak.

 

 

The Pakistani intelligence agencies, according to reports, are present in the corridor and their officials are reportedly making efforts to gather information by contacting the pilgrims going from India. Recently, a meeting of the officials of the Rotary Club was held at the Kartarpur Corridor.

 

From Indian side, the authorities have objected to the misuse of the corridor and is also collecting evidence to raise the matter with the Pakistan government soon. Reports suggest that the corridor is being used for business meetings too. It should be noted that the purpose of the corridor is only religious pilgrimage added that business meetings are banned.

 

The Kartarpur Corridor is a visa-free border crossing and religious corridor, connecting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan to Gurudwara Dera Baba Nanak with India. It allows devotees from India to visit the gurdwara in Kartarpur, 4.7 kilometres (2.9 miles) from the India–Pakistan border on the Pakistani side without a visa. However, Pakistani Sikhs are unable to use the border crossing, and cannot access Dera Baba Nanak on the Indian side without first obtaining an Indian visa or unless they work there.

 

The Gurudwara is considered to be one of the holiest places in Sikhism. The Kartarpur Corridor was first proposed in early 1999 by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif, the prime ministers of India and Pakistan respectively at that time, as part of the Delhi–Lahore Bus diplomacy. Earlier on November 26, 2018, the foundation stone was laid down on the Indian side by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The corridor was completed for the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak on November 12, 2019.