The Kartar Pur corridor is a visa-free border, which connects the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan to the border in India. Kartarpur has situated 4.7km from the India-Pakistan border.
Before the opening of this corridor, the Sikh pilgrims from India had to take a bus to get to Kartar Pur which is a 125k.m journey. But now with the opening of this corridor, the Indian holding passport can easily visit both the Kartar Pur shrine and the Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak on the Indian side of the border.
The Kartar Pur Corridor was first proposed in early 1999 by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif. On 26 November 2018, the foundation stone was laid down on the Indian side. Two days later on 28 November, 2018 Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan did the same for the Pakistani side. The Corridor was completed for the 550th birth anniversary of the Gurunank on 12 November 2019. Imran Khan gives a huge gift to the Sikhs all over the world.
Imran Khan said, “Pakistan believes that the road to the prosperity of the region and the bright future of coming generations lies in peace“. He further said, “Pakistan is not opening the border but also their hearts for Sikhs community“.
The Indian Prime Minister compared the decision by the two countries to the fall of the Berlin Wall, which connected East Germany with the West. The opening of the Corridor was warmly welcomed by the Sikhs all over the world. It was a great moment of excitement and rejoicing for the Sikhs, the Muslims, and the Indian Hindus. The opening of Corridor is going to bring the Sikhs all over the world close to the people of Pakistan and promote the Pakistani culture. A new era of peace and happiness has set in with the opening of the Corridor.
In August 2019, India and Pakistan agreed to allow visa_free travel of Indian citizens to Kartar Pur. Under the agreement, the pilgrims would come in the morning and return in the evening after visiting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. Each visitor would be required to pay USD 20$ as service charges. The cost could only cover one_third of the operational cost. However, India urged to waive off the fee for pilgrims.
In response on, November 2019, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced on Twitter that the Sikh pilgrims coming from India for pilgrimage to the Kartar Pur will not be charged any fee on the day of inauguration and on Guru Nanak’s 550th birthday on 12 November 2019. The Pakistan Government as a ‘special gesture’ had also waived off the passport requirement for one year.
The complex will have an international standard hotel; it will have hundreds of apartments; two commercial areas and two-car parking lots. It will have a Border Facility Area, a power grid station; a tourist information center, and several offices. Over 400 acres of land has been acquired by the Government of Pakistan to establish the Gurudwara complex in and the surrounding area.
By the opening of this Corridor, Pakistan Government proves that we give independent life and equality to all the religions live in Pakistan.
The Kartarpur Corridor
