Pakistan to reopen Kartarpur Corridor for all Sikh pilgrims on June 29

Tariq Butt, Correspondent

Pakistan has decided to reopen Kartarpur Corridor for all the Sikh pilgrims on June 29, 2020, on the occasion of the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi took to microblogging website Twitter to make the announcement. He underscored that Pakistan is conveying to the Indian side its readiness to reopen the corridor.

Earlier the corridor was temporarily closed on March 16 due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.

To ensure that necessary precautions are taken, Pakistan has invited India to discuss standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the reopening.

The Kartarpur Corridor was inaugurated on Nov.9, 2019, by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The opening of the Corridor on the eve of the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak fulfilled the long awaited desire of Sikh devotees of the international community.

The Pakistan Foreign Office said the Kartarpur Corridor is a symbol of peace and religious harmony. This initiative by the government has been appreciated by the Sikh community across the globe. The first Guru of Sikhism, Baba Guru Nanak Saheb, had spent the last 18 years of his life in Kartarpur.

Officials said that the Sikh pilgrims would have to strictly follow the SOPs so that the coronavirus did not spread among them. They expect a huge number of Sikhs to visit the site from the neighbouring India.