Islamabad: Pakistan has named 48 year old Ramesh Singh Arora, a Sikh legislator from its Punjab province, as the Ambassador At Large for the Kartarpur corridor, the biggest peace gesture between India and Pakistan.
Arora told media that it was unfortunate that the response to the Corridor was lukewarm. It was opened in November 2019 to facilitate pilgrims from India to the gurdwara after a break of three years. He said his biggest hope is to boost the number of pilgrims from India via the corridor.
He claimed that although Pakistan had made preparations for at least 5,000 pilgrims every day in Kartarpur, the facility was rarely used by even 1,000 Indians. There are typically 200 to 500 pilgrims each day. We can only implore the Sikh sangat in India to utilise this route to the fullest extent possible since Indian Sikhs' demand was the primary factor in its opening.
He also advised Pakistani Prime Minister that the Gurdwara should be open round-the-clock, every day of the week. "We will do everything possible from our side to encourage as many people as we can to visit Kartarpur… Currently, the gurdwara is open from dawn to dusk for Indians. But since it is a two-way process, we have to work out the modalities with the Indian authorities."
The official is also holding discussions over accommodating underprivileged pilgrims who cannot pay fees or don't have a passport. "The $20 (Rs 1,600) per person fees is not affordable for everyone, especially when families are travelling together. However, not everyone in India - particularly those from rural areas - possesses a passport. We have already asked the governments of Pakistan and India to abolish the requirement for a passport. Pakistan ought to down the costs."