ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has allowed Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur to perform rituals in connection with the death anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak next month under strict COVID-19 protocols.
The NCOC meeting discussed the movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims through Kartarpur corridor. The Forum was briefed that during the outbreak of the pandemic, India remained on the list of Category C countries from May 22 to 12 August 2021, where necessary movement was allowed through special permission.
However, now fully vaccinated persons with certificates will be allowed to enter Pakistan provided they show real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test reports which should not be more than 72 hours old.
Apart from this, Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) will also be conducted at airports and in case of a positive result, the individual will not be allowed to enter Pakistan. “No one will be allowed to come to Pakistan in case of rapid antigen test (RAT) positive results,” it said.
The Forum underscored that as per the enforced non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) a maximum of 300 persons would be allowed to participate in outdoor activities.
According to an official of the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS), Pakistan had introduced three categories to deal with coronavirus.
“Countries in category A are exempted from the mandatory Covid-19 test, travellers from areas falling in category B are required to present a negative PCR test that must be taken within 72 hours of the travel date while visitors from nations in category C are restricted and can travel only under specific NCOC guidelines,” the official said.
