Islamabad, New Delhi sign deal on visa-free Pakistan corridor for Sikh pilgrims
Islamabad and New Delhi signed an agreement on Thursday creating a visa-free corridor between the two countries that will allow Sikh pilgrims in India to visit the shrine to their religion’s founder, which is in Pakistan.
The Kartarpur Corridor deal is a rare example of cooperation between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals. The agreement follows months of heightened tensions, mainly over the disputed region of Kashmir.
“Indian pilgrims of all faiths and persons of Indian origin… can use the corridor. The travel will be visa-free,” said S.C.L. Das, a joint secretary in the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs. “Pilgrims from around the world are also welcome,” AFP quoted Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mohammad Faisal, as saying.
The deal allows for a secure corridor and bridge between the two countries, leading directly to the grave of Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak, just four kilometers (two miles) from the Indian border.
