Issues of entry fee, consular access to pilgrims may have delayed Kartarpur agreement: Manjinder Sirsa

Pakistan on Monday insisted on levying service charges on pilgrims visiting Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara. Criticising Pakistan over $20 entry fee to the Gurudwara, President of DSGMC, Manjinder Sirsa accused Pakistan of viewing Muslims and people of other faiths differently.

New Delhi:Amidst uncertainty over the signing of an agreement on the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) President Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that issues of the entry fee to Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara and consular access to pilgrims may have delayed the process.

Sirsa said, "The signing was supposed to happen on October 24. Two issues of entry fee and consular access to pilgrims were pending and we were waiting for Pakistan's response. I think that is the reason the signing has been delayed."

Criticising Pakistan over $20 entry fee to the Gurudwara, Sirsa accused Pakistan of viewing Muslims and people of other faiths differently.

"We request Imran Khan to reconsider the $20 fee because imposing any kind of fee for visiting a Gurudwara is against the tenets of Sikhism. Muslims do not have to pay for going to masjids in Pakistan. It means see Muslims and people of other religions from different angles," Sirsa added.

The Shiromani Akali Dal expressed hope for a quick resolution of the issues between the two countries.

"But we are hopeful that the agreement is signed between the two countries soon so that the devotees are able to visit the sacred place of Guru Nanak Dev," he said.

According to sources, an agreement between India and Pakistan over the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is unlikely to be signed on Wednesday.

Earlier both the sides had confirmed that the agreement would be signed on October 23.

However, the sources have not confirmed the next date for the agreement signing.