The government on Sunday announced the suspension of travel and registration for Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan from midnight March 16 till further orders as precautionary measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Punjab has reported one positive case of coronavirus so far but the state government is worried because more than 300 people who returned from countries hit by coronavirus, are untraceable.
“In wake of the #COVID19india outbreak, as a precautionary measure to contain and control the spread of the disease, the travel and registration for #SriKartarpurSahib is temporarily suspended from 12 am March 16, 2020, till further orders,” the Union home ministry said in a tweet.
The Kartarpur Corridor is a visa-free border crossing and secure corridor, connecting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib also called Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan to the Indian border in Punjab.
The Kartarpur Corridor became operational on November 9, 2019 to facilitate pilgrims to visit the gurdwara on the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. The corridor allows Sikh devotees from India to visit the gurdwara in Kartarpur, about 5 km from the border without a visa.
The government also suspended passenger movements through all immigration Land Check Posts at borders with Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.
“All types of passenger movements through all immigration Land Check Posts located at India’s borders with Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar suspended Sunday w.e.f. 0000hrs, March 15, 2020 and at India-Pakistan border w.e.f. 0000 hrs, Mar16, 2020,” the home ministry said in another tweet.
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