Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday congratulated all Punjabis on the Centre’s decision to develop the Kartarpur corridor saying that a long pending demand of Punjab was on the verge of fulfilment on November 26, when he would join the President of India to lay the foundation stone for the corridor.
At the same time, he also thanked the Government of Pakistan for reciprocating on the issue saying that his Government will also contribute, as may be required, to ensure timely completion of the project.
Capt Amarinder had tweeted, “Happy to share that I'll be joining President Ram Nath Kovind ji in laying foundation stone for Kartarpur Corridor to International Border at Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdaspur, on November 26. It will be a great moment indeed for all devotees of Sri Guru Nanak Dev.”
A day before, the Union Cabinet on Thursday decided to develop the corridor from Gurdaspur in Punjab to the international border (IB) to facilitate the passage of pilgrims to the Kartarpur Sahib gurudwara in Pakistan as part of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, next year.
However, the Centre clarified that India's decision was not in response to any proposal from Pakistan.
The resolution was passed after many weeks of internal consultations and preparations within the government. The gurdwara is significant for the Sikh community since Guru Nanak Dev spent 18 years of his life in Kartarpur till he died in 1539. It is located around three km from the international border between both countries and can be seen from the Indian side.