Ready to sign agreement on Kartarpur Corridor: India

While agreeing to sign the agreement, India has urged Pakistan to reconsider its insistence to levy USD 20 service fee on pilgrims.

New Delhi:India on Monday said it is ready to sign an agreement with Pakistan on October 23 for the operationalization of the Kartarpur Corridor, but asked Islamabad to reconsider its demand of charging USD 20 service fee per pilgrim.

The government has taken the initiative to put in place state of art infrastructure and open the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor on the auspicious occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev so that pilgrims from India and those holding Overseas Citizen of India Card can undertake visit to the holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, the ministry of external affairs said.

"It is a matter of disappointment that while understanding has been reached on most of the elements for facilitating the visit of pilgrims from India, Pakistan continues to insist on levying a service fee of USD 20 per pilgrim per visit," the MEA stated.

The government has consistently asked Pakistan that in deference to the wishes of the pilgrims, it should not levy such a fee.

In view of the long pending demand of the pilgrims to have visa-free access to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib and in the interest of operationalisation of the corridor in time before the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak falling on November 12, the government on Monday conveyed that India would be ready to sign the agreement on the corridor on October 23.

While agreeing to sign the agreement, the Pakistani government has been once again been urged to reconsider its insistence to levy service fees on pilgrims.

India would be ready to amend the agreement accordingly at any time.