Pakistan to invite Indian ex-PM Manmohan Singh for inauguration of Kartarpur

Tariq Butt, Staff Reporter

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday announced that Pakistan has decided to extend an invitation to former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the inauguration of the Kartarpur corridor, which is scheduled to be opened in November.

"Kartarpur corridor is an important project; Prime Minister Imran Khan has a personal interest in it," Qureshi said in a video message.

"After consultations, Pakistan has decided to invite Manmohan Singh to the inauguration, who we hold in high regard. He will represent the Sikh community. On behalf of the government, as the foreign minister of Pakistan, I invite him to attend the inauguration of the Kartarpur corridor," he said, adding that the government also intends to send Singh a formal written invitation.

The foreign minister also invited Sikh yatris in his message, saying: "We also await the Sikh yatris to come and take part in the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak."

Earlier this month, Pakistani project director Atif Majeed said the visa-free border crossing from India to Kartarpur, Pakistan, would be inaugurated on Nov.9, just ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Baba Guru Nanak on Nov.12.

It was also announced that Pakistan has agreed to allow 5,000 Sikh pilgrims from India to visit on a daily basis the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Narowal through the Kartarpur corridor.
Pakistan has kept the corridor project insulated from the recent tensions with India over annulment of Article 370, subsequent repressive actions in occupied Kashmir and intensified ceasefire violations on the Line of Control. The project had also remained unaffected by the previous episode of escalation between the two sides following the Pulwama attack in February.