ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday began allowing vaccinated Sikh pilgrims from India to travel to the Kartarpur corridor, under strict COVID-19 protocols, after closing the border earlier this year to contain the outbreak, according to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan.
The Kartarpur corridor is a 4km-long visa-free passageway that provides access to the Pakistani town of Kartarpur, home to a temple that marks the site where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, died.
It was temporarily closed in March 2020 to curb the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak and briefly reopened in October. It was padlocked again after a surge in COVID-19 cases in India.
On Saturday, the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), which oversees Pakistan’s pandemic response, said the decision was made “in view of the upcoming death anniversary of Baba Guru (Nanak)” on September 22.
The NCOC added that all measures would be taken to ensure “only fully vaccinated persons, carrying vaccination certificate, are allowed to enter Pakistan.”
“Forum underscored that as per the enforced non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), a maximum of 300 persons would be allowed to participate in outdoor activities,” the APP said.
The corridor was inaugurated by Pakistani and Indian prime ministers in November 2019 to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in both countries.
India has yet to respond to the formal resumption of operations for the cross-border temple visits as it continues to fight coronavirus infections.
