Sydney, December 3, 2019: Speaking to the press at Rosehill, Convenor of NRI World Organization (NRIWO) Dr Amarjit Tanda said despite opening of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, there are still thousands of Sikh pilgrims who have to take darshan of the holy Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara by standing at the zero line at Dera Baba Nanak.
Dr Tanda said Pakistan has permitted entry of 5,000 pilgrims per day to visit the gurdwara but Pakistan’s decision to make possession of passport a pre-requisite for entry has discouraged thousands of pilgrims.
“Pilgrims without passports are left with no option but to see the Gurdwara Sahib from the viewpoint, the place from where they watched the Sikh shrine from the past seven decades,” Tanda said.
Tanda said he has appealed to the Pakistan government not to make passport compulsory for pilgrims visiting Kartarpur Sahib.
He said benefits of the corridor will only be available to the common pilgrims if other identity cards such as the Aadhaar card or voter ID card are accepted as an identity proof.