FO regrets India’s refusal to avail concessions for Sikh pilgrims – Newspaper

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regretted on Thursday that the Indian government has decided not to make use of the "concessions" announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan for Sikh pilgrims visiting Kartarpur Gurdwara on the occasion of the 550th anniversary of the birth of the founder of Sikhism Baba Guru Nanak

“As a special gesture, Pakistan announced concessions on the auspicious occasion of the 550th anniversary of the birth of Baba Guru Nanak to facilitate pilgrims. India has rejected this in blatant disregard for Sikh feelings, "said FO spokesman Dr. Muhammad Faisal. tweeted.

"If India does not wish to take advantage of these facilitation measures for pilgrims, it is India's decision," he said.

The spokesman's reaction came after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India said that the visit of the Sikh pilgrims to Kartarpur Gurdwara through the newly established corridor would take place in accordance with the agreed bilateral agreement governing the corridor's operations.

MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar was quoted by the Indian media as saying: “Sometimes they say a passport is needed, sometimes it is not necessary. We believe there are differences between your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other agencies. We have a memorandum of understanding (MoU, for its acronym in English), it has not been changed and as the passport is needed. "

Spokesman says the government was working on other initiatives to promote religious tourism

Dr. Faisal, earlier in his weekly press conference, said the Pakistani government had renounced the "passport requirement" and the 10-day advance warning for pilgrims attending the sanctuary as a "special gesture." In addition, the $ 20 service charges for pilgrims were also eliminated on November 9 and 12.

The special concessions, which were announced by the prime minister via Twitter, were formally transmitted by the government of Pakistan to the High Commission of India in Islamabad and the government of India.

The government expects around 10,000 Sikhs to visit the gurdwara on the occasion of the visa-free corridor opening on November 9. These include Sikhs who come from India through the corridor, those who cross the Wagah border crossing and the Sikhs who live in other parts of the world coming here for the occasion.

In response to a question related to visas for Sikhs who pass through other routes, the spokesman said: "Our missions abroad are also facilitating Nanak Naamlevas visa applications completely."

The Indian cricketer turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, he said, had received a visa and would be well received at the opening ceremony. The army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, had shared for the first time the idea of ​​opening the Kartarpur Corridor with Mr. Sidhu when he visited Pakistan last year to attend the inauguration of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Later, Mr. Sidhu also came to the opening ceremony of the project.

According to Indian media, the invitation card issued by the Pakistani government to Mr. Sidhu carries the serial number "0001".

Dr. Faisal said the government was also working on other initiatives to promote religious tourism. "Sikhs / Nanak Naamlevas, Hindus and Buddhist monks have several sacred sites in Pakistan and we are trying to harness this potential of religious tourism," he said.

Meanwhile, according to APP, the FO clarified that the passport exemption for Kartarpur pilgrims would extend up to a year as a special gesture on the anniversary of Guru Nanak's birth.

Mr. Faisal was answering a question regarding a statement by the Director General of Public Relations between Services in which he described the passport as an essential requirement for Indian pilgrims who use the Kartarpur corridor.

"This is the formal position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ISPR statement is also in line with it," he said.

When asked if Pakistan would like to open similar corridors with Kargil and Ladakh to facilitate the reunion of families living on the other side of the border, he said that Pakistan had no objection about opening more passages, however, hesitation of India in having discussions on various issues was a major obstacle in that regard. .

Published on Dawn, November 8, 2019