Pakistan nears completion of Kartarpur Corridor bridge

Over 90% of the Pakistan-side bridge completed; expected to be ready within the next few weeks

LAHORE:

Over 90% of the construction of the Pakistan-side bridge on the zero line of the Kartarpur Corridor has been completed, according to officials from the project management unit.

The bridge will be the first link between the neighbouring countries, aiming to facilitate the pilgrimage of Indian devotees to the Gurdwara Darbar Saheb Kartarpur.

Expected to be ready within the next few weeks, the construction of the 420-meter-long bridge initially began in December 2021 and was scheduled to conclude earlier. However, due to financial constraints and the political climate in Pakistan, the construction was temporarily halted before resuming.

The Public Development Fund is funding the project with an estimated cost of Rs4.53 million. The Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) and National Engineering Services of Pakistan (Nespak) are collaborating to carry out the construction.

Read Kartarpur Corridor struggles to yield results

Furthermore, the need for the Kartarpur bridge arose from the vulnerability of the zero line area to flooding, emphasising the importance of constructing a safe and secure passage for the devotees.

Recent flooding incidents have disrupted the pilgrimage, with Indian authorities halting the entry of pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. However, it is expected that once the bridge is completed, such inconveniences will be minimised, enabling a smooth and uninterrupted flow of pilgrims.

Officials also said that it is only through mutual agreement between Pakistan and India that the requirement of passports and the $20 fee for Sikh pilgrims can be waived.

In the Kartarpur Corridor Agreement, signed in October 2019, India had stipulated that a passport would be mandatory while Pakistan had fixed an entry fee of $20 for Sikh pilgrims.

The implementation of the agreement is binding for five years. The agreement will be revised next year.