Kartarpur corridor to reopen from November 17

Home Minister Amit Shah has announced the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor from Wednesday to allow Sikh pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism.

The visa-free corridor linking the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur with the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, three kms inside Pakistan was shut down in March 2020 following the Covid-19 outbreak.

The reopening of the four-km long corridor coincides with the 552nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev which falls on November 19.

Shah held review meetings with officials to expedite resumption of the operation of the corridor at an opportune time, an official statement said.

India and Pakistan had agreed to build the Kartarpur Corridor in 2018 and it was thrown open in 2019 to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

“This decision reflects the immense reverence of the Modi government towards Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and our Sikh community,” Shah said on Twitter.

An official statement said that pilgrimage through the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor would be facilitated as per existing procedures and adherence to Covid protocols.

A Sikh Jatha of 1,500 pilgrims will visit Pakistan from November 17-26, but they will go via Wagah-Attari Border and not the Kartarpur corridor.

A delegation of Sikh leaders from Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday with a demand to reopen the Kartarpur corridor for the Guru Nanak birth anniversary celebrations.

Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu too had made similar requests to the Centre.

Singh congratulated Modi for the timely opening of the Kartarpur corridor.

“It will provide a chance to thousands of devotees to pay obeisance at the holy shrine on the occasion of Guru Purab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji,” Singh said.

“...may the corridor of the Great Guru remain open eternally to shower blessings on one an all,” Sidhu said.

Earlier this month, Pakistan had urged India to reopen the Kartarpur corridor to allow Sikh pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib during the Guru Purab celebrations.

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