ISLAMABAD: Citing an overall improvement in COVID-19 cases across the country, Islamabad said it had reopened the Kartarpur corridor allowing Sikh pilgrims to travel from Dera Baba Nanak in India to the final resting place of their religion’s founder, Guru Nanak, in Kartarpur, Pakistan.
“In the wake of overall improvement in the situation of COVID-19 in Pakistan, the ETPB (Evacuee Trust Properties Board) has decided to reopen Kartarpur Corridor for Indian Yatrees (pilgrims), Sikh Diaspora and all types of local visitors from 2 Oct 2020,” the ETPB said on Friday.
A notification from Pakistan’s Evacuee Trust Properties Board (ETPB) on reopening of the Kartarpur corridor allowing Sikh pilgrims to travel from India.
Access will be granted from dawn to dusk with the statement saying that Indian pilgrims had been advised to follow COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs).
“Indian visitors are allowed to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib Corridor daily from dawn to dusk as per bilateral agreement-2019 on Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, subject to the observance of precautionary measures/SoPs on COVID-19,” it said.
The Kartarpur corridor is a 4km-long visa-free passageway which was inaugurated by Pakistani and Indian prime ministers in November last year, in their respective countries.
It had been temporarily closed in March this year to limit the spread of the coronavirus outbreak and was briefly reopened in June to commemorate Sikh leader Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s death anniversary.
India has yet to respond to the formal resumption of operations for the cross-border temple visits as it continues to record a high number of coronavirus infections.
