Friday, March 29, 2024
ADVT 
India

WATCH: PM Imran Khan Formally Inaugurates Kartarpur Corridor On Pakistani Side

Darpan News Desk IANS, 09 Nov, 2019 08:31 PM

    Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday inaugurated the much-awaited Kartarpur Corridor in Punjab province, paving the way for thousands of Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the highly revered Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara.

     

    The inauguration comes ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, on November 12.

     

    "Want to congratulate those worked on the temple," Geo News quoted Khan as saying while ddressing the inauguration ceremony here.

     
     

    "I did not know my government was so efficient. Want to congratulate them again for completing the complex in record time."

     

    Khan arrived at the corridor inauguration ceremony using the shuttle service being used by pilgrims. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Special Assistant on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan, Senator Javed Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari and other officials.

     

    The shrine is where Guru Nanak Dev spent 18 years of his life and is his final resting place.

     
     

    Meanwhile, former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led the first delegation of Sikh pilgrims as they crossed into Pakistan through the Kartarpur Corridor. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh was also part of the 'jatha' (caravan).

     

    "I hope India and Pakistan relations improve enormously as a result of this beginning," Manmohan Singh told PTV as he walked towards the Pakistan side, terming the occasion a "big moment".

     
     

    Amarinder Singh told Dawn news they were all happy because it had been a desire of Sikhs to visit their religious sites in Pakistan for 70 years.

     

    "This is a beginning, I hope it's going to continue and many more gurdwaras are going to be allowed," he added.

     
     

    Former Indian cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu was also in attendance at the inauguration ceremony and thanked Khan for taking the bold step to build the Kartarpur Corridor "without looking at gains or losses".

     

    Before seeing off the first group of pilgrims from India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed members of the Sikh community and hailed the opening of the corridor.

     

    "I also thank Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan for understanding India's wishes and turning Kartarpur into reality," Modi said in his speech.

     
     

    Meanwhile, members of the Sikh community on Saturday continued to arrive from all over the world, according to Geo News.

     

    About 8,000-10,000 pilgrims are expected to arrive from around the world to mark Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary.

     
     

    To facilitate the Sikh yatris, the Pakistan government has installed 130 counters, where their passports will be confirmed or scanned, and permit will be verified.

     
     

    MORE India ARTICLES

    Amarinder Singh Alleges ISI Hand Behind 'Referendum 2020' Mobile App, Demands Removal from Google Playstore

    Netizens took to Twitter on Friday to urge Google to take down the controversial '2020 Sikh Referendum app' immediately.

    Amarinder Singh Alleges ISI Hand Behind 'Referendum 2020' Mobile App, Demands Removal from Google Playstore

    WATCH: Western Railway Deploys 'Yamraj' To Discourage Trespassing

    The Western Railway on Thursday launched an innovative campaign in Mumbai to spread awareness, save lives and discourage trespassing.    

    WATCH: Western Railway Deploys 'Yamraj' To Discourage Trespassing

    Elderly Couple Ends Life In New Clothes, Arrange Materials For Last Rites As They Did Not Want To Burden Son Who Was Ill-Treating Them

    An elderly couple in Telangana committed suicide wearing new clothes and after arranging the material required for their last rites, as they did not want to burden their only son, who was ill-treating them.    

    Elderly Couple Ends Life In New Clothes, Arrange Materials For Last Rites As They Did Not Want To Burden Son Who Was Ill-Treating Them

    UP Woman Found Living With Two Corpses For 2 Months

    UP Woman Found Living With Two Corpses For 2 Months
    In a shocking incident, a woman was found living with the dead bodies of her mother and sister in the house for over two months in Ayodhya.    

    UP Woman Found Living With Two Corpses For 2 Months

    Blow To India: Moody’s Cuts Credit Rating Outlook To Negative; Govt Rebuts

    Blow To India: Moody’s Cuts Credit Rating Outlook To Negative; Govt Rebuts
    In a blow to India, Moody’s Investors Service has cut the country’s credit rating outlook to negative--the first step towards a downgrade, saying the government has been partly ineffective in addressing economic weakness, leading to rising risks that growth will remain lower.

    Blow To India: Moody’s Cuts Credit Rating Outlook To Negative; Govt Rebuts

    Punjab, The Epicentre Of Crop Burning Fires, Sees Low Pollution Levels

    For a region that is the epicentre of crop fire burning, Punjab is exhibiting fairly comfortable levels of air quality index (AQI) while many parts of Delhi NCR, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are showing elevated air pollution levels.

    Punjab, The Epicentre Of Crop Burning Fires, Sees Low Pollution Levels