The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday sought urgent and renewed diplomatic initiative by the BJP-led Central Government with its Pakistani counterpart to secure a direct two-way access controlled corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in India to Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan.
They party said that the link would enable the Sikhs in Punjab to visit the holy place associated with the life and mission of the first Sikh master, Guru Nanak Dev in the neighbouring country, Pakistan.
Welcoming and lauding the efforts of Punjab-based Society for Promotion of Peace (SPP) and National Press Club (NPC), Pakistan, in this regard, SAD MP from Sri Anandpur Sahib Prem Singh Chandumajra sought prompt resolution of “highly emotive issue”.
He said that the issue was hanging fire for several decades to enable the millions of devotees to pay obeisance from India and abroad at Kartarpur Sahib.
Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara was one of the most revered places of Sikhs and was situated just three kilometres away from the international border on the Pakistan side.
Chandumajra said that the initiative would be sacred step in the direction of fulfilment of the earnest daily Sikh prayer for khulle darshan deedar and seva sambhal (unhindered access, vision and service) at the shrine of which the community had been deprived as a result of the tragic partition of the country, tearing asunder the heart of Punjab in 1947.
Chandumajra further said that the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had personally taken up this issue several times with the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the present incumbent Narendra Modi but so far, no tangible progress has been made in this regard.