Type: Parliament Questions and Answers

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to satate :-

(a) whether the State Government of Punjab has requested the Central Government and Pakistan to give a pilgrim corridor upto Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan which is only two kilometers away from border;

(b) if so, the details in this regard;

(c) whether Government has taken up the issue with their Pakistani counter part;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) if not, the reasons therefor and when would the issue be discussed with Pakistan?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI E. AHAMED)

(a) & (b) Yes. Including after the unanimous resolution passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on 1st October 2010, when Government received a request in this regard from the Government of Punjab.

(c) to (e) Government has been taking up this issue with Pakistan from time to time. In 2005, Government had proposed to Pakistan the inclusion of Kartarpur Sahib in the list of shrines under the bilateral ‘Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines-1974’. During the meeting between External Affairs Minister and the Foreign Minister of Pakistan on June 27, 2008 it was also proposed to Pakistan side that a small team from India could visit Pakistan to discuss the modalities for visa free travel through a corridor to Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan. However, no response has been received from Pakistan side till date.

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Pakistan
South Asia