The Pakistan government on Sunday announced that it will allow entry to vaccinated pilgrims to visit Kartarpur Sahib gurudwara on the death anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, under strict Covid-19 protocols.
The government also laid out a list of guidelines for the potential pilgrims who wish to visit Kartarpur, which is in Pakistan’s Punjab province, next month.
In an official statement, the Pakistan govt’s National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) stated that a session was chaired by Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umer on August 10 to discuss the movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims through Kartarpur Corridor for religious events in Pakistan.
Amid the high prevalence of the Delta variant of Covid-19, India remained in Category C countries list from May 22 till August 21 and essential movements from India to Pakistan were allowed through exemptions.
“It is clarified that Kartarpur Corridor had never been closed by Pakistan for Indian Sikh pilgrims as they kept visiting Pakistan for religious tourism,” asserted the NCOC.
In view of the forthcoming Sikh religious event of death anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev in the month of September 21, Indian Sikhs are allowed to visit Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur while adhering to the following protocols:
- Only fully vaccinated individuals will be allowed to enter Pakistan through Kartarpur Corridor/Wagah Border
- Negative RT PCR test before traveling to Pakistan (maximum 72 hours old)
- RAT on arrival in Pakistan. In case of positive result, the individual will be returned to India
- An outdoor gathering of a maximum of 300 individuals will be allowed at one time at the Gurudwara
The NCOC further confirmed that it is closely monitoring Covid-19 in Pakistan and will take review of the situation again in the first week of September.
