Kartarpur visitors quizzed in national security interest: Punjab CM

Chandigarh, Feb 28 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday told the Assembly that the state police had questioned some pilgrims on their return from Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara (in Pakistan) on an IB request and in the interest of national security.The Intelligence Bureau (IB) had, in this case, raised some doubts and asked Punjab Police for assistance in checking the credentials/antecedents of certain pilgrims for security reasons, the Chief Minister said after the issue was raised by Aam Aadmi Party lawmaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan.In view of its location on the sensitive India-Pakistan border, Punjab was duty-bound to work closely with central agencies to ensure the country's security, he added.The state's Congress government, the Chief Minister asserted, would cooperate with central security and intelligence agencies in the larger national interest, as and when required.Punjab Police had acted within limits permissible under the law in the matter, the Chief Minister added.In fact, had the Gurdaspur police failed to cooperate with the IB in the wake of its security concerns, he would have taken strict action against the officials concerned, Amarinder Singh remarked."If police fails to act in accordance with the established security mechanism in coordination with central agencies, action would be taken against erring officials," he warned.A day earlier, the Opposition had created a ruckus in the House over the issue and demanded a response from the Chief Minister.Pointing out that more than 51,000 pilgrims had already passed through the 4.1-km Kartarpur Corridor -- between Dera Baba Nanak town in Gurdaspur district of Indian Punjab and Darbar Sahib gurdwara in Shakargarh tehsil in Narowal district of Pakistan -- ever since it was inaugurated in November 2019, Amarinder Singh said it was the first instance when certain visitors were questioned.
--IANS vg/tsb/bg