‘Pakistan Service Charge for Kartarpur like Jazia’ Says Amarinder Singh

Dera Baba Nanak (Punjab): Comparing Kartarpur with ‘Jazia’, a tax imposed in earlier times on non-Muslims in Muslim countries, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday reiterated his demand for immediate withdrawal by Pakistan of the proposed facilitation charges on visitors to the historic Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib. Pointing out that Emperor Akbar had abolished the controversial and regressive tax during his rule, the Chief Minister said the proposed Pakistani service charge of $20 a visitor was against the basic spirit of the Sikh ideology of allowing ‘khulle darshan deedar’ of the gurdwaras or Sikh shrines which remained in Pakistan after partition.

In informal media interactions at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district, where he reviewed the progress of the Kartarpur corridor construction work, the Chief Minister pointed out that he has already sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to pressurize Pakistan into withdrawing its proposed service charge. Amarinder Singh had suggested that the Minister for External Affairs take up the matter in the bilateral meetings in this regard. The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the work on the Kartarpur corridor on the Indian side would be completed by October 30, though he expressed concern about the pace of progress on the Pakistani side. In response to a question on the security threat along the corridor, he underlined the need to remain on constant guard. The Chief Minister once again urged all to rise above petty politics to celebrate the historic event in unison. (IANS)

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