Pak hails India’s decision on Kartarpur corridor after Rajnath sought facilitation from Islamabad

New Delhi/Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday welcomed India’s decision to build a corridor from Punjab to Pakistan’s Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib , the final resting place of Guru Nanak after the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh asked Islamabad to facilitate the construction of the Kartarpur corridor keeping in view the sentiments of sikh community in India.
Pakistan responded to Rajnath’s statement in which he said India will build and develop a corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district to the International Border to facilitate Sikh pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur on the banks of the Ravi river in Pakistan. Kartarpur Sahib, located just across the International Border, is the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev and one of the holiest shrines of Sikhs. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
New Delhi will also also request Islamabad to recognise the sentiments of the Sikh community and develop a corridor with suitable facilities in their territory as well.
“In a landmark decision, the Cabinet approves building and development of Kartarpur corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district to International Border. Kartarpur corridor project with all modern amenities and facilities to be implemented with Central Government funding,” he said in a series of tweets.
Responding to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s announcement on construction of Kartarpur corridor Pakistan Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry termed the Indian cabinet decision a victory for the peace lobby in both countries, Pakistan Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry said New Delhi’s move was an endorsement of Islamabad’s proposition on the issue.
“It is a step in the right direction and we hope such steps will encourage voice of reason and tranquility on both sides of the border,” Chaudhry tweeted. Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shahd Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime Minister Imran Khan will lay the foundation stone for Kartarpur corridor on November 28. The corridor’s opening will form part of Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary celebrations. “We welcome the Sikh community to Pakistan for this auspicious occasion,” the Minister added. Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, which is three kilometres from the India-Pakistan border, is the final resting place of Guru Nanak, who founded Sikhism.