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Pakistan imposes tax on visit to Kartarpur Pilgrim

“It is embarrassing that Pakistan is planning to impose a fee on Sikh pilgrims. It would be like the Jaziya tax,” said Badal

Chandigarh: Pakistan is demanding $20 as a service charge from Indian pilgrims, saying it amounted to issuing a “ticket” to visit the historic gurdwara in Kartarpur in the neighboring country.

India had asked for the free fee to be waived, but Pakistan said that the amount is needed to meet operational costs for the corridor.

Pakistan has allowed 5,000 pilgrims daily on the corridor that will link Dera Baba Nanak in India’s Punjab state to Darbar Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan’s Kartarpur. It has also agreed to the demand that people of all faiths be allowed to visit the shrine apart from Sikhs.

There would be no stamping on the passport but only a permit would be issued for the visit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the corridor in November and the construction work would be completed by October 31. The 4.2 km-long corridor is to be opened on the occasion of the 550th Prakash Purb celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev on November 9.

On saturday Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that Modi will inaugurate the Kartarpur corridor on November 8. The delegation inspected undergoing projects at the international border after which they held a meeting with officers at the Integrated Check Post, said state government statement.

Leaders who have slammed on Pilgrim Tax

Earlier Badal slammed Pakistan on Jizya policy compared it with ‘jaziya’ and said the external affairs ministry has taken up the issue with the Pakistan government.

“It is embarrassing that Pakistan is planning to impose a fee on Sikh pilgrims. It would be like the Jaziya tax,” said Badal.

The term ‘Jaziya’ or ‘Jizya’ means a per capita yearly taxation historically levied in the form of financial charge on permanent non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Islamic law to fund public expenditures of the state.

Even Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh had equated the service charge to “jaziya” (a tax on non-Muslims).

“It is unfair to put a ticket on visiting the gurdwara. How will the poor pilgrims afford this amount,” asked Singh.

Amarinder Singh said the Punjab government was working closely with the Centre to ensure that all infrastructure-related and other works for the Kartarpur Corridor are completed right time.

Singh made it clear that he would not be visiting Pakistan but would merely go through the special corridor to visit Kartarpur Gurdwara Sahib.

The Punjab chief minister said Pakistan was making all efforts to sponsor terrorism in Punjab, asserting that his government was fully prepared to tackle the threat situation.

The security forces are on high alert and geared to meet any eventuality that can occur, said Singh.

The Kartarpur gurdwara is located in Pakistan’s Narowal district near the Ravi river, about four kilometers from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Indian Punjab.

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