CHANDIGARH: The Pakistan government on Wednesday permitted its citizens to visit the newly-inaugurated Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Kartarpur. Muslim visitors will have to pay Rs 200 in Pakistani currency as fees and show a valid ID card to enter the shrine.
Sikhs and Hindus living in the neighbouring country have been exempted from this fee.
While confirming the same, intel sources said, "This fee is only for Muslim devotees who will get a receipt which they will have to produce along with a valid ID proof to enter the Gurdwara premises. They can spend the whole day there but cannot stay the night. The Muslims pilgrims are also not allowed inside the 'Sukhasan' building where the Guru Granth Sahib is kept. They can only visit the grave of Guru Nanak which is in the premises of the gurudwara complex, besides they will be allowed to visit the corridor."
"Sikhs and Hindus who are living in Pakistan have been exempted from the Rs 200 fee which is being charged to visit the holy shrine," said an official.
According to sources, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Committee has not accepted the levy of this entry fee on Muslim devotees. A consensus on the same will be worked out in the coming days.
Earlier, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal had asked Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to waive the requirement of passport identification to access the Kartarpur corridor besides asking him to do away with the 20 USD service fee being levied on pilgrims.
He instead requested Khan to instruct Pakistan government officials to accept any valid ID card except passports from the devotees.
"A majority of people in rural areas do not own a passport. Moreover making a passport for this visit alone amounts to an additional expenditure of around Rs 2,000. Most of the devotees plan to travel with their families, this means that an average family of four will have to spend at least Rs 8000 to get a passport each besides additional travelling expenditure to reach Kartarpur. If the 20 USD service charge is also taken into account the family would have to spend around Rs 15,000 to visit Kartarpur Sahib. This is beyond the reach of underprivileged sections of society," the minister said.