Hailing the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Pakistan as a path breaking step, Punjab Deputy Chief Sukhbir Badal on Friday said that this initiative will certainly strengthen the bilateral relations and bring people of India and Pakistan closer to each other.
Sukhbir wished that this is the beginning of a constructive and uninterrupted dialogue. “This is indeed a sign of statesmanship as ‘rashtraneeti is above raajneeti’. National interest is paramount and it should never succumb to partisan politics,” he added.
He said that Modi had visited several countries for the sake of improving bilateral relations between nations which would eventually boost economic ties, enhance educational cooperation and technical assistance then he should go ahead and do so.
Raising the issue of a corridor to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, Sukhbir said that this historic gurdwara of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, was located on the Pakistani side in Punjab, just two km away from border in the Dera Baba Nanak sector.
“Punjab Government and the SGPC has been requesting the Centre and Pakistan to create a pilgrim corridor up to the gurdwara so that Indian pilgrims could have uninterrupted access to the shrine,” he pointed, adding that the sentiments of the Sikhs were attached to the gurdwaras in Pakistan and the Prime Minister should ask Pakistan’s federal government to give free access to them to pay obeisance there. Sukhbir said that Pakistan’s government should honour the sentiments of Sikh masses and provide such a corridor in coordination with India.
Expressing concern over visa hindrances being faced by Sikh pilgrims, Sukhbir said that Narendra Modi should ask the Pakistan Prime Minister to ensure an easier visa regime for pilgrims. He also sought the opening of visa offices in Amritsar and lahore for the convenience of pilgrims, traders and industrialists.