India clears Kartarpur Corridor till Pakistan border to help Sikh pilgrims visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the building and development of the Kartarpur Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of Punjab to the international border with Pakistan. The corridor will facilitate pilgrims from India who visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, on the banks of the Ravi River in Pakistan every year.

The resolution regarding the corridor was passed by a Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, which falls in 2019. The corridor was proposed by the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999. If connected on the both sides, this could also provide a major tourism boost as more pilgrims would be able to visit the holy shrine throughout the year.

As per the government statement, the Kartarpur corridor will be implemented as an integrated development project with the Centre government's funding. "Government of India will put in place suitable facilities for smooth passage of pilgrims," said the statement. The Centre has said that it will urge the Pakistan government to "recognise the sentiments of the Sikh community, and develop a corridor with suitable facilities in their territory as well".

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the Kartarpur corridor will provide smooth and easy passage to pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib throughout the year. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also confirmed that the government will develop a Kartarpur Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur, Punjab, to the international border.

The Kartarpur corridor will provide smooth and easy passage to pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib throughout the year. Government of Pakistan will be urged to reciprocate and develop a corridor with suitable facilities in their territory.

- (@rajnathsingh) November 22, 2018

Govt of India will develop a Kartarpur Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur, Punjab to the international border to facilitate pilgrims from India to visit the holy Gurudwara Darbaar Sahib Kartarpur on the banks of Rabi river in Pakistan where Guru Nanak Devji spend 18 years

- Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) November 22, 2018

Pakistan, on its part, has also decided to begin building the Kartarpur corridor later this month, with Prime Minister Imran Khan likely to lay the foundation stone of the project soon. However, the date is yet to be decided by the Pakistan government.

Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has been pitching for opening of a corridor for Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan, on Thursday welcomed the Centre's decision to develop passage from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur to the shrine in the neighbouring country, reported PTI.

Kartarpur is located in Shakargarh in Narowal district of Pakistan's Punjab. Guru Nanak Dev had spent over 18 years of his life here. The Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara is located about three to 4km from the Indo-Pak border in Pakistan.

Edited by Manoj Sharma