Imran Khan govt lauds Navjot Singh Sidhu's efforts to reopen Kartarpur corridor
Imran Khan government has congratulated Navjot Singh Sidhu for his participation in the opening of a corridor between the two countries to the Sikh pilgrimage.
- World News
- 3 min read
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The Pakistani government led by Imran Khan has congratulated cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu for his participation in the opening of a corridor between the two countries to the Sikh pilgrimage site of Kartarpur Sahib, ANI reported on November 17. The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President's name was mentioned on the kartarpurcorridor.com website, which stated that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan shared the corridor proposal with Sidhu.
The kartarpurcorridor.com website page read, "the idea was shared with the Indian legend Sikh cricketer Sardar Navjot Singh Sidhu who attended the 'Swearing In' ceremony of Prime Minister of Pakistan. On 28 November 2018, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Navjot Singh Sidhu attended the Ground Breaking Ceremony of Kartarpur Corridor."
Imran Khan and Sidhu's relationship came to light in 2018 when the latter attended Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's inauguration ceremony. Moreover, On Thursday, Sidhu may not be part of the "jatha" (group) that will pay homage at the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan, according to PTI. Sidhu said he had filed his application for a trip to Pakistan's famous shrine to offer prayers on Tuesday. According to sources, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his ministers would be part of the "jatha" that will visit the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara on Thursday. According to them, Channi will be accompanied by a few MLAs and bureaucrats.
HM Shah had announced the reopening of corridor on Tuesday
Surprisingly, Pakistan is emphasising Sidhu's role in the Kartarpur corridor controversy at a time when the Indian government has chosen to reopen the link. Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Tuesday that the Kartarpur corridor will reopen on Wednesday. The Home Minister wrote on Twitter, "In a major decision, that will benefit large numbers of Sikh pilgrims, PM Narendra Modi government has decided to re-open the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor from tomorrow, November 17. This decision reflects the immense reverence of the Modi government towards Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and our Sikh community."
The Kartarpur Corridor connects Pakistan's Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Gurdaspur's Dera Baba Nanak shrine. On November 19, Guru Nanak's birth anniversary will be commemorated with Gurpurab at Kartarpur Sahib. The Covid outbreak forced the suspension of pilgrimages to the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in March 2020. The 4.7-kilometre-long visa-free corridor connects the Indian border to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. It went into service in 2019. Notably, Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders recently met with PM Modi and demanded that the corridor be reopened.