Zee Impact: PSGPC demands withdrawal of passport requirement for Indian pilgrims

New Delhi: After Zee News took up the issue of doing away with the condition of passports by the Indian pilgrims visiting Kartarpur Sahib, Pakistan, the neighboring country’s highest  Sikh religious body - Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) - has written to Prime Minister Imran Khan to allow the Indian Sikhs to travel Kartarpur Sahib on Indian national identity card – the Aadhar card.

PSGPC president Ameer Singh said that they had sought the intervention of PM Khan for allowing Indian pilgrims to enter Pakistan for paying obeisance at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib without a passport.

“Sikhs will always remain indebted to Imran Khan for opening Kartarpur Sahib and enabling Sikhs living around the world especially from India to pay obeisance at Kartarpur Sahib, where Baba Nanak lived before leaving for heavenly abode,” said Singh.

It is pertinent to mention that India and Pakistan while keeping aside their differences have opened up the Kartarpur Corridor on Nov 9, 2019 from Dera Baba Nanak to Narowal in Pakistan.

In the letter, the PSGPC president wrote that all the minorities in Pakistan especially Sikhs enjoyed full freedom to live and practice their religious rituals and exercise their rights due to the generosity of Imran Khan.

“PSGPC has urged Imran Khan to allow Indian Sikhs to visit Kartarpur Sahib on their national identity card – Aadhar Card - so they could save themselves from the cumbersome process of making the passport and would also visit in large numbers,” said Singh.

In the recent past, Zee News had taken up the issue of allowing Indian Sikhs to visit Kartarpur Sahib without a passport. Former president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Paramjit Singh Sarna had also recommended traveling to Kartarpur Sahib, Pakistan on the basis of Aadhar Card.

The PSGPC had also written another letter to Pakistan’s Chairman of National Command and Operation Centre Asad Umar to withdraw the condition of RTPCR test restriction on the Indian pilgrims who are vaccinated.

While hailing the initiative taken by PSGPC, the President of Shiromani Aklai Dal (Delhi) Paramjit Singh Sarna said Sikhs in India felt immensely pleased for PSGPC taking up the issue with Pak Prime Minister.

“The process has begun and I hope that very soon both countries will take up the issue on the diplomatic channel so that unnecessary clause could be withdrawn,” said Sarna.