Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday announcedseveral concessions for Indian pilgrims going to Darbar Sahib gurdwara atKartarpur in Pakistan’s Punjab where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, spentthe last years of his life.

“For Sikhs coming for pilgrimage to Kartarpur from India,I’ve waived off 2 requirements: they won’t need a passport-just a valid ID;ii)they no longer have to register 10 days in advance. Also,no fee to becharged on day of inauguration & on Guruji’s 550th birthday.” Khan tweeted.

India has been seeking a complete waiver of pilgrims’ feebut Khan announced just two-day relief -- on the opening of the KartarpurCorridor on November 9 and on Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary on November12.-- in the $20 charge that has been a sticking point in the talks onoperationalising the Kartarpur corridor. The border corridor connects DarbarSahib with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district of Punjab.

This year marks the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanakand on this occasion India and Pakistan have signed an agreement to constructthe Kartarpur corridor. It is meant to facilitate visa-free movement of Indianpilgrims, who will only have to obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, whichwas established in 1522 by the founder of the Sikh faith.

Both countries have agreed that Pakistan would allow 5,000Sikh visitors per day into the country through the corridor, which will also bethe first visa-free corridor between the two neighbours since theirindependence in 1947. Pakistan is building the corridor from the Indian borderto the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Guru Nanak, while theother part from Dera Baba Nanak up to the border will be constructed by India.

India is constructing a bridge at the zero point and hasurged Pakistan to build a similar bridge on its side that will provide safe andsecure movement of pilgrims and address concerns regarding flooding. The bridgeis over a creek of which the majority part falls in Pakistan.

The corridor is set to be inaugurated on November 9 when a575-member Jatha will cross the corridor to to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib. FrmerPrime Minister Manmohan Singh, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, Union MinistersHardeep Puri and Harsimrat Kaur Badal are among the first batch of pilgrims.Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singn Sidhu has also accepted the invitationof the Pakistan prime minister and will be present on the occasion.