CM, Badal hail Centre’s nod to build Kartarpur corridor
Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and his predecessor, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, on Thursday welcomed the Centre’s decision to build and develop a corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district to the International Border to facilitate Sikh pilgrims from India to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan.
Kartarpur Sahib, located just across the International Border, is the final resting place of Guru Nanak and one of the holiest shrines of Sikhs.
“The move will facilitate lakhs of pilgrims desirous of visiting the Kartarpur gurdwara. Hoping that the Pakistan government would also supplement the effort by opening the corridor on its side of the boundary,” Amarinder said in a statement here.
Amarinder also expressed happiness at the cabinet’s decision to develop the historic town of Sultanpur Lodhi, associated with the life of Guru Nanak, as a heritage town, on the lines of a Smart City.
“This is indeed a befitting tribute to the great guru’s cosmic vision transcending all kinds of barriers among human beings of different castes, creeds and countries,” Badal said in a statement here. Badal said the NDA government’s formal request to Pakistani should decisively remove all hurdles in the path of fulfilling the long-cherished dream and the daily prayers of every Sikh to pay obeisance at historic gurdwara.
CM ALSO EXPRESSES HAPPINESS AT THE CABINET’S DECISION TO DEVELOP SULTANPUR LODHI, ASSOCIATED WITH GURU NANAK, AS A HERITAGE TOWN
‘PERSUADE PAK TO OPEN PASSAGE FROM ITS SIDE’
Welcoming the Union cabinet’s decision, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Thursday asked Prime Minster Narendra Modi to persuade the Pakistani establishment to ensure smooth access to the Kartarpur gurdwara from their end.
A denial of access from the Pakistani side will render the cabinet decision meaningless and will appear as a ploy to play with the sentiments of crores of Sikhs, he said in a statement.
I had a reservation over the issue because Centre in the past has been oscillating on opening of the corridor, he said, adding: “Earlier this year, the Centre rejected holding any discussion with the Pakistan on the issue. A few days back, it announced installation of telescopes to view the gurdwara from the Indian side, which is meaningless if the government has decided to allow devotees to visit the gurdwara on the other side of the border.”
SIMPLIFY VISA REQUIREMENTS: AAP
In a joint statement, the leader of opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Harpal Singh Cheema and chief spokesperson MLA Baljinder Kaur also appealed to the Centre to simplify visa requirements to visit other religious places in Pakistan as well.
The leaders also demanded to set up an office of external affairs ministry at Amritsar to assist the pilgrims visiting the religious places exclusively.
TIME FOR PAK TO RECIPROCATE: SGPC
Welcoming the Union cabinet’s decision on the Kartarpur corridor, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal on Thursday said: “India has taken the lead in making efforts to build the corridor and now Pakistan should reciprocate to fulfil the long-pending demand of the Sikhs.”