A religious corridor linking a revered Sikh shrine on the bank of Ravi river here with India’s border district of Gurdaspur has the potential to bring “hope and peace” between the two countries, feels people on both sides of the border on the eve of its ground-breaking ceremony.
The foundation stone laying ceremony of the corridor between Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, the final resting place of Sikh faith’s founder Guru Nanak, and the international border with India will be held here Wednesday.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, senior politicians of Pakistan’s Punjab province and a host of top officials will be attending the event at Narowal – around 120 Kilometers from Lahore. The foundation stone of the corridor on the Indian side, from Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab’s Gurdaspur to the international border, was laid Monday by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
“We have fought a lot in the last 70 years. There was no gain from those fights by either India or Pakistan. It is now time we begin a new journey and the Katarpur corridor has the potential to bring peace,” says Abbas Khan, a 60-year-old Pakistan trader, a resident of Narowal.
Another Pakistani citizen – Bilal Mohammed - who is from Lahore said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an influential leader and both he and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan can bring changes in the bilateral relations if they want.