‘Worked for 19 yrs to get Kartarpur Corridor opened….my name not cleared by police for visit’

“Jasbir Singh Zaffarwal’s name is mentioned on the ‘hideouts list’. It means he is suspected for being a threat to national security. He is suspected of sheltering the persons with criminal background. There was an old case against him which have been disposed now and currently there is no case against him. But intelligence agencies have told us that his name figures in the ‘hideout list’ so his name has not been cleared for the visit,” said SHO Manjiit Singh Dhariwal from Gurdaspur district, where Zaffarwal’s verification file was processed.

“I am the person who along with Kuldeep Singh Wadala worked for opening of Kartarpur Corridor for 19 years. We were the first to take up the demand for opening of the Corridor. I had applied for the visit to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib on December 4. As per procedure police verification was done the next day. Later, I found that my name has not been cleared by the police. They did not inform me. I only came to know about it a friend told me that his request for visit was confirmed by Ministry of External Affair on the website and I should check status of mine,” said Zaffarwal.

Responding to the police’s argument, he added: “I don’t know why they have been making this excuse now. National Security Act was slapped against me in the 1980s. All SAD leaders had to face this Act due to our opposition to Operation Blue Star and atrocities against Sikhs. However, even at that time I was not involved in any crime and cases against me proved to be false in the court of law. Police knows that there has been no pending case against me since 2006.”

“I got a passport in 2006 and at that time too police verification was done. I went to Pakistan in 2006 and 2008 as part of lobbying for Kartarpur Corridor under banner of Kartarpur Ravi Darshan Abhilashi Sanstha (KRDAS). My passport was renewed earlier this year and again police verification was done and my passport was renewed. Now, suddenly they have objections over my visit to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib,” said Zaffarwal.

Zaffarwal is now convener of KRDAS, founded by Akali Dal leader late Kuldeep Singh Wadala. He was a member of the SAD since 1980s and recently joined the Taksali group.

KRDAS activists would gather at Indo-Pak border near Dera Baba Nanak every month at the place where by binoculars were placed to see Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib and they would pray for opening of the Corridor. This practice continued for 19 years to demand opening of the Corridor and now it constitutes to demand that the visit be made passport-free.

Meanwhile, SHO Manjit Singh said: “I don’t have any information if Zaffarwal has gone to Pakistan in past.”