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| Indians visiting Kartarpur Gurdwara Sahib in Pakistan need to carry valid passport, clarifies MEA | | | The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday confirmed that Indians with a valid passport will be allowed to visit the Kartarpur Gurdwara Sahib in Punjab province of Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar reiterated that India will follow the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Pakistan and go by the requirements provided in it. As per the MoU, Indians will need to carry a valid passport, said Kumar, adding that MoUs can't be changed unilaterally and it requires the consent of both the parties.
"You must have seen conflicting reports from Pakistan and even today that sense of confusion continues. Sometimes they say passport is needed and at other times they say that it isn't. We think there are differences between their Foreign Office and other agencies. There is a bilateral document signed between India and Pakistan which specifies the documents required. We have an MoU, it hasn't been changed and as per it passport is needed. We are going by the requirements in the MoU. As of today, we are aware that there is an agreement signed between India and Pakistan. So for the time being, those undertaking journey on November 9 and later will have to go by the agreement till the MoU is revised."
Speaking on Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, Kumar said, "The inauguration of Kartarpur Corridor is a historic event. It is not important to highlight any one individual."
Earlier, the Centre had said that Indians with a valid passport will be allowed to visit the Kartarpur. The development comes as Pakistan has been trying to create confusion in connection with the visit to Kartapur Sahib ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev.
Pakistan has been changing its stand on who all can visit Kartarpur Sahib by stating that Indian pilgrims will not require passports to visit the shrine and only a valid identity proof will do and then coming out with another statement that only those with valid passports can do so.
On one hand, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has tweeted that no passport is required for those visiting Kartarpur Sahib, but Major General Asif Ghafoor, the Pakistani Army spokesperson and Director-General of its Inter-Services Public Relations, stated that pilgrims would require a passport. |
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