Kartarpur: Online Registration For 1st Batch Expected To Start On Oct 20; Work On Pak Side Slow

A four-lane highway connecting the 'zero point' for onward journey to Pakistan is getting ready, but work across the border is very slow, reports said.

Kartarpur Corridor

New Delhi: Government is expected to begin online registration for pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur on October 20, amid the strained ties between India and Pakistan, and the prolonged Kartarpur highway construction. A four-lane highway connecting the 'zero point' for onward journey to Pakistan is getting ready, but work across the border is very slow, reports said. On Wednesday, Islamabad released the programme for the visit of the Indian pilgrims to the Gurudwara. The itinerary for the first lot of pilgrims during 5-14 November was put out by the Pakistan foreign office in a post on Twitter. India has proposed that the first group of pilgrims should cross over to Pakistan on November 8. India and Pakistan are still negotiating on Islamabad's insistence of charging USD 20 from each pilgrim and timing of the pilgrimage every day (first entry and last exit time). A state-of-the-art passenger terminal with facilitation centre to host government officials responsible for ensuring hassle-free travel of pilgrims, food kiosks, parking areas and security points will also come up by November 8 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate the much-awaited Kartarpur corridor. "The online registration for the pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur is expected to commence on October 20," Chairman of the Land Port Authority of India and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs Govind Mohan told a group of reporters here. The total area of the passenger terminal is 2.5 lakh sq feet which is being constructed on a 20-acre land. Total land acquired for the project is 50 acres. Mohan said the work on the four-lane highway and the state-of-the-art passenger terminal, which can accommodate 5,000 pilgrims, will be completed by October end. However, the slow progress of the work in Pakistan is clearly visible from the Indian side as there is no work on the road as well as the bridge which will connect the four-lane road constructed by India. "Pakistan has deferred the construction but it has assured that it will complete the work in good time," Mohan said. Pakistan will provide transport up to the zero point to pick up pilgrims to their side of the facilitation centre and to drop them back. A total of 55 immigration counters are being set up at the passenger terminal. There will be no visa requirements but pilgrims will have to carry their passports.