India-Pak signs landmark agreement for visa-free visit to historic Kartarpur corridor

Lahore/New Delhi: To allow Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the holy Darbar Sahib in Pakistan both nations, India-Pak has signed a landmark agreement to operationalise the historic Kartarpur corridor. The corridor will connect the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India’s Punjab with Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur, just about four km from the international border, located at Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province. The agreement signing ceremony took place at the Kartarpur Zero Point at the Pakistan-India border in Narowal, removing a key legal hurdle for the opening of the corridor.

The agreement will allow access to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Norowal district of Pakistan, where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life. Each visitor would be required to pay $20 as a fee, though India has requested Pakistan not to charge the Indian pilgrims. Under the agreement, the pilgrims would come in the morning and return in the evening after visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

At least 5,000 pilgrims will be allowed to visit the holy site every day without a visa.

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