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Diplomats arrive to attend Kartarpur ceremony

Diplomats arrive to attend Kartarpur ceremony

LAHORE, (DNA) – Foreign diplomats arrived in the country to attend the Kartarpur ceremony where Prime Minister Imran Khan will lay the foundation stone for the border corridor on Wednesday.

The agreement between Pakistan and India to have a corridor, linking Gurdaspur’s Dera Baba Nanak to Kartarpur Sahib has been welcomed by the Sikh community that has long demanded they be able to walk to this major shrine directly from Dera Baba Nanak in India rather than through the Wagah border crossing.

Kartarpur border corridor: Pakistan and India break the ice

The 16th-century shrine in Narowal district was where the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak, breathed his last.  Located four kilometers away on the banks of the River Ravi, the revered shrine is visible from the Indian side.

The Gurudwara was built to commemorate the site where Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism, settled after his missionary work. He assembled a Sikh community there and lived for 18 years until his death in 1539.

The government has formulated a comprehensive plan to facilitate the Sikh devotees who will come to Pakistan to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur. The plan includes renovation of the gurdwara, issuance of visas to the pilgrims and the provision of security and accommodation.

The Indian government was in a quandary, displeased with this development but unwilling to alienate the Sikh sentiment. Finally, it accepted the proposal; announcing it would construct the road on its side, and send two ministers to the groundbreaking ceremony by Imran Khan on Pakistan’s side.

Prime Minister Imran Kha had taken a personal interest in meeting Sikhs’ demand after Navjot Sidhu attended his swearing-in ceremony in Islamabad. The friendship between Khan and Sidhu goes back to their cricketing days.

Katarpur corridor: ‘A dream come true’ today for the Sikh community

Sindhu, now Tourism and Culture Minister of Indian Punjab has arrived in Lahore to participate in the ceremony. Other guests include the head of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, members of Indian Punjab assembly and senior journalists.

The head of the largest Sikh organisation Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Sardar Gobind Langowal has also come to Pakistan for the first time. Pakistan’s High Commissioner in India Sohail Mahmood will also participate in the ceremony while India’s Union Minister Harsimrat will represent their External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

The guests have also brought with them holy water called ‘Amrat Jal’ from the Golden Temple in Amritsar. As a mark of respect, Indian parliament member Gurjeet Singh Aujla walked barefoot to Lahore, carrying ‘Amrat Jal’ to use the water in the corridor’s groundbreaking.

 






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