Amritsar (Punjab):

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here on Friday that Indians have to pay a fee of USD 20 to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was imposed by Pakistan, but no fee should be charged for it.

Mr Jaishankar said this during an interactive session in Amritsar.

After attending the nomination filing of the BJP candidate from Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, on Friday, Mr Jaishankar clarified that ‘Kartarpur is not only in our hands. “We have to make an agreement with Pakistan, adding, “The USD 20 dollar fee that I remember, this was not implemented by us, it was by Pakistan.”

Mr Jaishankar also mentioned that, while visas are no longer required for Kartarpur Sahib, crossing international borders.

“We have to cross international borders to go to Kartarpur Sahab. We have already stopped the visa, there is no need for a visa. But because we are crossing international borders, people need to have passports in their hands. There are many people who want to go to Kartarpur Sahib but do not have a passport, so we completely understand their aspirations,” Mr Jaishankar stated.

Further, Mr Jaishankar expressed his intention to discuss the matter with Pakistani authorities regarding the fee imposed by them on Kartarpur corridor.

And as for the matter that no fee should be charged on it, I can assure you that we will try to discuss this matter with the Pakistani authorities and try to reach a decision on it.” said Mr Jaishankar

Village Kartarpur is located on the west bank of the river Ravi, where Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji spent the last 18 years of his life. Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak is about 1 km from the Indo-Pakistan border and on the east bank of the River Ravi, according Indian Ministry of home affairs.

On the west side of the river is located the town of Kartarpur, Pakistan. Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib falls in district Narowal of Pakistan, about 4.5 km from the international border near the historic town of Dera Baba Nanak, District Gurdaspur, Punjab.

The Indian part of the Dera Baba Nanak-Sri Kartarpur Sahib corridor involves a 4.1-kilometer-long, four lane highway from Dera Baba Nanak to the international border and a state-of-the art passenger terminal building (PTB) at the international border. Dera Baba Nanak is a city situated in Gurdaspur district in the state of Punjab, India.

Followers of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji built the town and named it Dera Baba Nanak after their great spiritual leader.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)