'Highly shameful': Harsimrat Badal hits out at Pak over Kartarpur visit fee
Chandigarh: Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday hit out at the Pakistan government for charging USD 20 from pilgrims who will be visiting the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara through the much-awaited Kartarpur corridor which will open in November.
"The USD20 fee charged by Pak for Kartarpur Sahib darshan is atrocious," the minister wrote on Twitter.
In a video shared with her social media post, Harsimrat Badal said that it is "highly shameful" for Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to think that the service fee will boost his country's economy.
The $20 fee each charged by Pak for #KartarpurSahib darshan is atrocious. How will a poor devotee pay this amount? Pakistan has made a business out of faith. @ImranKhanPTI's statement that this fee will boost Pak's economy & result in earning foreign exchange is highly shameful. pic.twitter.com/a0sidEDIPZ
— Harsimrat Kaur Badal (@HarsimratBadal_) October 20, 2019
"How will a poor devotee pay this amount? Pakistan has made a business out of faith. Imran Khan's statement that this fee will boost economy and is highly shameful," she said.
Pakistan had said that it will charge USD 20 a service fee from all devotees who visit the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara.
On Sunday, Imran Khan had said that the Kartarpur corridor will open for the public on November 9.
The corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district of Punjab.
The corridor will facilitate visa-free movement of Indian pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, established in 1522 by Guru Nanak Dev.
The corridor will also be the first visa-free corridor between the two neighbours, according to Pakistan media reports.
