India refuses Pakistan’s concession offer ‘in blatant disregard for Sikh sentiments’
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal has said that as a special gesture Pakistan announced concessions on the auspicious occasion of 550th Birth Anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak to facilitate pilgrims but India had refused to avail these facilities in blatant disregard for Sikh sentiments.
In a tweet, he said if India did not wish to avail the facilities it was India’s choice.
Dr Faisal maintained that by doing so India was creating confusion to confuse.
Also Read: ‘More than 10,000 Sikhs from all over the world to attend inauguration of Kartarpur Corridor’
On Nov 7, the FO spokesperson had said that more than 10,000 Sikhs from India and other parts of the world would attend the inauguration of Kartarpur Corridor to be performed by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday, Nov 9.
“Under the 1974 agreement with New Delhi regarding religious pilgrims, about 5,000 pilgrims will come from India, whereas our missions abroad have issued the same number of visas,” Dr Muhammad Faisal had said addressing his weekly news briefing in Islamabad.
He had said the pilgrims from different countries including Canada, Britain, America, Singapore, Malaysia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, New Zealand and Australia will attend the inauguration ceremony.
The spokesperson had said Kartarpur was a dedicated corridor for the people from India to come, pay respect and go back the same day. They cannot go anywhere else, he had added.
Faisal had said that as a special gesture on the auspicious occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, Pakistan had waived the condition of carrying passport for the celebrations and the requirement to convey pilgrim information 10 days prior to the entry through Kartarpur Corridor.
“The 20 dollar service charges a pilgrim per visit on the November 9 and 10 have also been waived and this has been conveyed formally to the Indian High Commission and the Indian government,” he had said.
“We hope that the corridor will provide an opportunity especially to the Sikh community to come and observe the prayers at Baba Guru Nanak Sahib’s shrine,” he had added.
