New Delhi: The Pakistan Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) on November 3 took away the control of Kartarpur's Gurdwara Darbar Sahib from Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandhak Committee and giving it to Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).
The ETPB manages religious properties and shrines of Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan.
An official order on November 3 read, "Consequent upon the approval of Project Management Unit (PMU) Kartarpur Corridor by ECC of the Cabinet, and ratified by the Cabinet (conveyed by MoRA...dated 23.10.2020), the competent authority has been pleased to establish Project Management Unit (PMU), a self-financing body, for Management and Maintenance of Gurdwara Dardar Sahib Kartarpur (GADSK) under the administrative control of ETPB."
It further listed nine officials and staff members who have been posted at PMU at Kartarpur Narowal to implement the Project Business Plan.
Also read: Pakistan reopens Kartarpur corridor on its side, India yet to take decision
India's Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has condemned this transfer of control and Vice President, SAD in a statement said, "SAD condemned and demanded reversal of the decision of Pakistan to take full control of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur from PSGPC & hand it over to a new govt body with not even a single Sikh member on it. This is a grave attack on fundamental rights of the Sikh minority in Pakistan."
The 4-km long corridor links Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur in India to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan - the final resting place of Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev.
On November 9, 2019, the Pakistan Prime Minister had formally inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor as part of the commemoration of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak while PM Narendra Modi inaugurated it on the Indian side.
The corridor was temporarily closed due to COVID-19 in March.
