India-Pakistan: Good News from Pakistan after China, Agreement on Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Extended by 5 Years

India-Pakistan: India and Pakistan have decided to extend the agreement on the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for five years through diplomatic means.

India and Pakistan have decided to extend the agreement on the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for five years through diplomatic means. The Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, which was signed on October 24, 2019, allows Indian pilgrims to travel to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Narowal, Pakistan and was valid for five years. The Ministry of External Affairs said that the extension of the agreement’s validity would ensure the uninterrupted operation of the corridor for Indian pilgrims visiting the holy Gurdwara in Pakistan.

Five Years of Free Travel Facility

Considering the continuous requests from pilgrims, New Delhi has again urged Islamabad not to charge any fee from pilgrims. The agreement provides for visa-free travel for Indian pilgrims and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan daily throughout the year, without any service charge of $20 imposed by Pakistan.

India-Pakistan Kartarpur Corridor

To facilitate the pilgrimage of devotees, a highway from Dera Baba Nanak city to Zero Point and a modern infrastructure including an Integrated Check Post (ICP) on the Indian side have been built. The CEO of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is appointed by Pakistani authorities. Since its inauguration in November 2019, the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor has been used by around 2,50,000 pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur.