NAROWAL: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday laid foundation stone of Kartarpur corridor connecting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur area of Narowal distric with Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur India.
Former Indian cricketer and current Indian Punjab Minister of Local Government, Tourism, Cultural Affairs, and Museums Navjot Singh Sidhu, Indian Minister for Food Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Minister for Housing Hardeep S Puri, Indian journalists, foreign diplomats and a large number of Sikh yatris both local attended the groundbreaking ceremony.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony Prime Minister Imran Khan appraised Indian ministers delegations and Sikh yatries for attending the ceremony.
The PM in his address said “Today I want to welcome our guests, our Sikh brothers and sisters who have come from all around the world.”
“Today, the happiness I witnessed on the faces of the Sikh community just like as Muslims feel when they go to Medina,” the PM stated.
Imran Khan promised the Sikh pilgrims that his government will work for the improvement of Kartarpur corridor and next year all sort of facilities will be available to them.
“Where Pakistan and India stand today, we will stay stuck this way unless we break the shackles of the past and stop blaming each other. There have been mistakes on both sides,” the PM added.
Addressing the ceremony the PM Khan Renewed his offer for talks and said, “If India takes one step forward, we will take two steps forward.”
“It is foolish for anyone to think there can be war between two nuclear-armed countries as there is no winning for anyone. So, if there can be no war then what other way is there other than friendship?” the premier said.
“We must move forward, no matter what, Pakistan and India must improve their ties,” he said adding “France and Germany, who have fought many wars, can live in peace, then why India and Pakistan can’t. They have trade ties despite killing thousands of each other’s people. But their leaders one day decided that we will break their shackles and they did.”
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi, Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed, Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also attendance the groundbreaking ceremony.
Earlier, Indian cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi are on the verge of creating history through the opening of Kartarpur corridor.
Talking to the journalists along with Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar at the Governor’s House here on Tuesday, he said: Time provides opportunities to leaders to immortalise their names through epoch-making feats and great leaders never let such opportunities slip away.”
He added that Kartarpur corridor would immortalise Imran Khan and Modi. Sidhu said nothing could be achieved without effort and it was a miracle that Kartarpur corridor became a reality in three months, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan could not give any better gift to 120 million Sikhs than the opening of Kartarpur border.
“A sweet fragrance of friendship has emanated from the land of Pakistan and it is going to mesmerize people on the Indian side of the border,” he said. To a question, he said that the opening of Kartarpur corridor would pave way for peace in the region and open up new vistas of cooperation between Pakistan and India.
“Kartarpur corridor would enhance people to people contacts and I foresee brotherhood and more friendly relations between the people of two Punjab”, he said, adding that Pakistan government had opened up doors of innumerable possibilities by opening the doors to the birthplace of Baba Guru Nanak.
Talking to the media men, Punjab Governor Sarwar said the opening of Kartarpur border was a historic decision by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The governor said that the Sikhs had been facing many problems, including visas, and all these problems would be solved under the leadership of Imran Khan.
Ch Sarwar invited Sidhu to spend a whole day in Nankana Sahib next year, adding that the government would provide maximum facilities in the holy city of Nankana.
Earlier in the day, Sidhu led his country’s delegation to Pakistan for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor to be held today.
The Indian delegation comprising Minister for Food Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister for Housing Hardeep S Puri and Sidhu reached Lahore through the Wagah Border crossing where they were received by officials of the Punjab Rangers.
