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Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the historic Kartarpur Corridor on Saturday, for the followers of Guru Nanak, allowing them to visit the revered Sikh Guru’s final resting place without a visa.
The 3-kilometre corridor provides visa-free access to Sikh pilgrims, allowing them to travel to Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, spent the final years of his life.
The passage links Narowal district to Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur in Punjab, India.
The first batch of Sikh pilgrims arrived at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib after undergoing the immigration process at the border terminal, reported Radio Pakistan.
Around 10,000 pilgrims are set to perform their rituals within the compound of the Gurdwara after seven decades.
Saturday’s inauguration will take place in the presence of former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, Actor Sunny Deol, Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, and Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
The delegation will arrive at the Gurudwara Darbar Sahib using the Kartarpur Corridor.
The two countries hope that when fully operational, some 5,000 pilgrims will be able to cross into Pakistan every day to perform religious rituals.
Earlier, Sikh pilgrims had to travel by road to Lahore and then to Narowal to perform their rituals at the Gurudwara Darbar Sahib.
The project was initiated on the directives of the premier as a testimony of Pakistan’s commitment to promoting interfaith harmony and regional peace.
Touted by many as the ‘corridor of peace’ between the two arch-rivals, the Corridor was completed in a record period of eleven months by Islamabad.
Source: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2096425/1-prime-minister-imran-inaugurate-kartarpur-corridor-today/ |