Kartarpur Corridor anniversary today marks Pak quest for peace

ISLAMABAD: The Sikh community all around the world is set to celebrate the first anniversary of the opening of Kartarpur Corridor on Nov 9 (today), which is also another practical manifestation of Pakistan’s desire for peace with its belligerent neighbour.

On Nov 9 last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan fulfilled the cherished desire of 30 million Sikhs around the world, for whom the Kartarpur Corridor is one of the holiest places, by formally opening it in a colourful ceremony, which was attended by Sikh leaders from India including former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former Indian cricketer and lawmaker Navjot Singh Sidhu.

The opening of Corridor was widely recognised as ‘a new symbol of peace’ by the world community which also took place on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Secretary-General United Nations Antonio Guterres, during his visit to Pakistan in February this year, also acknowledged the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor as “a practical proof of Pakistan’s desire for peace and interfaith harmony”.

During his visit to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur and the Kartarpur Corridor, he called the opening of the Corridor a "good step", which would promote interfaith harmony.

The Sikh community from all over the world remained greatly appreciative of the efforts made by Pakistan to complete the Kartarpuur Corridor project in record time and for provision of excellent arrangements and facilities for the Sikh pilgrims.

Darbar Sahib Kartarpur is located in Narowal district which is the last resting place of Baba Guru Nanak sahib, who had settled there and preached for about 18 years of his life. About four-kilometre-long Corridor enabled the Sikh pilgrims to travel between Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur and the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district, India.

Prior to its opening, the Sikh community from across the border could only gaze from the Indian side at their holiest site from a distance of merely four kilometres inside Pakistan. Immigration counters and all other state-of-the-art facilities had been provided for the Sikh pilgrims. The border terminal had been built 350-metre from the zero-point and the pilgrims are being transported aboard buses to the Gurdwara where they enjoyed all the latest facilities. The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee remained responsible for carrying out rituals in Gurdwara Sahiban, including Kartarpur as per the Sikh Rehat Maryada.