Shakargarh (Staff Report/Agencies): Prime Minister Imran Khan has stressed that the Kashmir dispute can be solved if the two countries showed honest resolve.
"We will keep improving Kartarpur corridor and next year you will see all facilities will be available there," said PM Imran on Wednesday while addressing the post-groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor.
“The leadership of Pakistan and India must break free from the shackles of the past. Peace cannot be attained unless both the sides looked towards the future instead of dwelling on what has happened. It would be madness to think about a war between two nuclear powers,” he added.
The ceremony was attended by Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, government officials, Indian ministers and foreign diplomats.
The 4-km-long corridor will connect Dera Baba Nanak in India’s Gurdaspur district with Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan’s Narowal district. The corridor will provide visa-free access to the Indian Sikh pilgrims to the shrine.
The Gurdwara Kartarpur Darbar Sahib holds religious significance for the Sikh community. It is where Baba Guru Nanak settled down after his travels as a missionary. He lived there for 18 years until his death in 1539.
More than 3,000 Sikh pilgrims arrived in Lahore from India via special trains on Wednesday to celebrate the 549th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji from November 21-30.
On Tuesday, Navjot Singh Sidhu arrived in Lahore to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor.
Former Indian cricketer-turned-politician led his country’s delegation comprising Minister for Food Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister for Housing Hardeep S Puri and others.
While speaking to journalists upon crossing the Wagah border, Sindhu thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan for inviting him to the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor. “The seed that Imran Khan sew three months ago has become a tree now and me and 120 million Sikhs could not be happier. I want to thank Pakistani prime minister and officials,” he said.
“Karturpur corridor will prove to be a path of peace and instead of 60 years, happiness can come in six months through it. This corridor will be the reason that borders between both the countries open,” Sidhu added. He said that he was bringing a message of love and peace.
The proposal to construct the corridor providing visa-free access to Sikh pilgrims was renewed by Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa in August this year.
