Kartarpur. Pakistan has taken a good initiative for the Sikh pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib. Several celebrations are being organized here to mark the 552nd birth anniversary of Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak Dev. According to the rules, pilgrims participating in these programs had to give information 10 days in advance. But according to media reports, now this rule has been temporarily relaxed. There is a mutually agreed upon time frame with India.
Pakistan has taken this decision as a mark of respect to the religious sentiments of Sikh pilgrims in view of India’s recent decision to reopen the Kartarpur corridor ahead of the ceremony at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. According to the news published on the website of the news channel, while giving this exemption till November 30, Pakistan has expressed hope that the Indian government will follow the consent process for visitors from December 1. The list of Sikh pilgrims is required to be finalized 10 days before their visit to Kartarpur due to necessary clearances from both India and Pakistan.
The Kartarpur corridor was reopened on Wednesday. Prior to that the pilgrimage to Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara was postponed in March last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In view of the birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, the Kartarpur Corridor has been opened between the two countries for three days, which does not require a visa to visit. It was closed for about 20 months due to the Kovid-19 global pandemic.
The Kartarpur Corridor connects Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan with Dera Baba Nanak Gurdwara in Gurdaspur district. More than 240 Sikh pilgrims reached Kartarpur on Friday. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chairperson BB Jagir Kaur along with a delegation visited the temple in Kartarpur. “A total of 242 Indians, including Punjab’s Deputy Chief Minister and Jagir Kaur, visited Kartarpur Sahib,” said Mohammad Latif, Chief Executive Officer, Kartarpur Corridor Project Management Unit.