IB spots terror camps near Kartarpur Gurdwara: Report

Intelligence agencies have spotted terrorist training camps in the border district of Narowal where Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara is situated, according to a report by The Times of India.

The alert comes less than a week before the opening of the Kartarpur corridor for Indian pilgrims.

The Kartarpur Corridor connects the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Punjab with Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur, just 4 kilometres from the International Border, located at Narowal district of Pakistan's Punjab province.

At a recently held joint meeting of all top security agencies of the countries, it was revealed that terrorist training camps are situated at Muridke, Shakargarh, and Narowal in Pakistan’s Punjab province, where “a substantial number of men and women are reportedly camping and undergoing training”.

According to the report, agencies feel that anti-India activities are likely to be carried out by hostile elements in Pakistan, especially “those likely to come into contact with pilgrims at the shrine," during the opening of the Kartarpur corridor.

Notwithstanding a chill in bilateral ties over Kashmir, Pakistan and India after tough negotiations signed a landmark agreement last week to operationalise the historic Kartarpur Corridor to allow Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the holy Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.

The two countries decided that 5,000 pilgrims can visit the shrine every day and that additional pilgrims will be allowed on special occasions, subject to capacity expansion of facilities by the Pakistani side.

India and Pakistan have also decided that the corridor will be operational through the year and seven days a week and that pilgrims, except kids and elderly persons, will have a choice to visit it as individuals or in groups.