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Updated: Oct 18, 2019 23:48 IST

Chandigarh Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, on Friday, appealed to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to withdraw the $20 ( approximately Rs 1,420) fee imposed by his government on pilgrims visiting the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara. The CM tweeted his appeal to Imran Khan saying that the world Sikh community will be grateful for this gesture on the part of Islamabad.

Later, in a statement Amarinder pointed out that a pilgrimage to the historic gurdwara, which was revered the world over as the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, was the fulfilment of a cherished dream for the entire Sikh community.

“The imposition of the fee, as well as other conditions like a mandatory passport and 30-day prior online notice by the devotees, would obstruct the realisation of the dream of the pilgrims, many of whom are poor men and women, who could not afford such fee and also had no access to the internet,” said the CM. “Let these people not be deprived of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for ‘Khulle Darshan’ of the historic gurdwara,” he added.

Pak wrong in charging the fee: Longowal

Muktsar Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal said in Muktsar on Friday that the $20 service fee that Pakistan had levied was totally wrong.

“The Kartarpur Sahib holds special importance for Sikhs and the corridor is a much-awaited project. The service fee for visiting is totally wrong and is condemnable. Many pilgrims belonging to the poor sections may not be able to pay the fee. The visit should be free. We also appeal to the central government to intervene in the matter,” Longowal, who was in Muktsar to attend a function in a college, said, adding that the Delhi government’s decision to fund the fee for the pilgrimage was appreciable.