PM Modi to address public gathering after Kartarpur Corridor inauguration on Nov 9

New Delhi, Oct 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public gathering at Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur after inauguration of Kartarpur Corridor on 9 November.

India has today shared list of 575 pilgrims to go in inaugural 'jatha' to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib through Kartarpur corridor. It includes ex-PM Manmohan Singh, Union Ministers Hardeep Puri, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, Punjab's MPs-MLAs and others, according to ANI.

India and Pakistan last week signed the agreement on the Kartarpur Corridor that will allow Indian pilgrims to undertake visa-free visit to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the shrine of the Sikh religion's founder Guru Nanak Dev in Pakistan, notwithstanding a chill in bilateral ties over Kashmir.

The agreement will allow 5,000 Indian pilgrims daily to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib where Guru Nanak spent last 18 years of his life.

Pilgrims from both Pakistan and India will undergo biometric screening before being permitted to enter Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. They will be able to exit from the same gate which they used for entry while undergoing the verification.

The pilgrims would be required to leave on the same day at 5pm. No pilgrim will be permitted to stay at Darbar Sahib. However, pilgrims will not be subjected to any restrictions for re-entry after they have passed through the clearance process.

A designated gate has also been built for Pakistani Sikhs arriving at Darbar Sahib and they will also undergo biometric verification as part of the security protocol.

India and Pakistan signed the agreement after three rounds of tough negotiations despite bilateral relationship witnessing a chill recent years. The ties touched a new low when India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August following which Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy.

Indian pilgrims of all faiths and persons of Indian origin can use the corridor and the travel will be visa-free. Each visitor would be required to pay USD 20 as fee, though India has requested Pakistan not to charge the Indian pilgrims.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to formally inaugurate the Kartarpur Corridor on November 9, ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak on November 12.