Islamabad, 10 November 2021 (TDI): November 9, 2021 marks the 2nd anniversary of Kartarpur Corridor which is also known as the ‘Peace Corridor’. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan in 2019. The Sikh community of both Pakistan and india desired border corridor between Pakistan and India connecting the Sikh Shrines of Dera Baba nanak sahib and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. the desire was materialized through the Kartarpur Corridor by the incumbent government of Pakistan.
Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, spokesperson for Pakistan’s Foreign Office, said the Kartarpur Corridor reflects the Pakistan’s commitment to promoting ideals of inclusivity, interfaith harmony, peaceful coexistence, and tolerance.
The spokesperson restated Pakistan’s policy of promoting interfaith unity in a tweet on the 2nd anniversary of the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor.
Sikh pilgrims can travel to Kartarpur Corridor without a visa, he said. He added that the Kartarpur Corridor has the capacity to handle greater numbers of tourists on special occasions in addition to regular visits by up to 5,000 pilgrims seven days a week throughout the year.
In a separate statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar stated that Pakistan expects India to enable Sikh pilgrims to travel through the Kartarpur Corridor to attend Baba Guru Nanak’s Birthday festivities later this month.
He stated that festivities will begin on the 17th of this month, and that they are looking forward to welcoming devotees from India and throughout the world.
High ranking officials in Pakistan and others convened their messages on this occasion.
On 2nd anniv of the #KartarpurCorridor, PM @ImranKhanPTI states that the step reflects govt’s commitment to minority rights&interfaith harmony; that too during times when Hindutva mindset, translating into atrocities on Kashmiris and Indian minorities, is hindering regional peace pic.twitter.com/Q9rjF5VfNI
— Prime Minister’s Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) November 9, 2021
The @UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres has termed #KartarpurCorridor as ‘Corridor of Hope’ and reflects 🇵🇰s commitment to promoting values of inclusivity, inter-faith harmony, peaceful coexistence and tolerance. It is also a proud testament to 🇵🇰s Sikh heritage. (4/4) pic.twitter.com/COcl3rMi1F
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) November 9, 2021
Today, on the 2nd anniversary of the Kartarpur Corridor, we celebrate the spirit of interfaith harmony and the strengthening of Pakistan’s commitment to peace and tolerance. Pakistan embraces and celebrates diversity. Together, we are better. pic.twitter.com/3wANLMhYIE
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) November 9, 2021
The first guru and founder of Sikh religion, Guru Nanak, founded Kartarpur in 1504 CE on the right bank of the Ravi River and established the first Sikh commune there. He spent last 18 years of his life at Kartarpur. The region was partitioned between India and Pakistan during the 1947 partition of India. The Shakargarh tehsil on the Ravi River’s right bank, containing Kartarpur, was awarded to Pakistan by the Radcliffe Line. Kartarpur Corridor lies at Narowal district, Punjab, Pakistan, and Gurdaspur district, Punjab, India.
After being temporarily closed owing to the pandemic on March 16, 2020, the Kartarpur Corridor reopened on June 29, 2020, under Covid-19-related measures. Thousands of Sikhs in India are waiting for the Modi government’s decision on reopening the Kartarpur Corridor so they can attend Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary. In a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi requested that the corridor be reopened promptly because the COVID situation had significantly improved.
