Chandigarh, May 15 (PTI) Akal Takht’s officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj on Thursday sought the reopening of the Kartarpur corridor, which facilitates devotees to pay obeisance at the historic gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.
The corridor has remained shut since May 7.
The Indian armed forces carried out pre-dawn missile strikes on May 7 on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base in Muridke.
The Kartarpur corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in the Gurdaspur district.
In a statement here, the jathedar said Sikhs pray daily for open access to the gurdwaras from which they were separated, and therefore, keeping the Kartarpur Sahib corridor closed is not justified.
He emphasised that since the corridor was first opened, a large number of Sikh devotees have been visiting the holy site of Sri Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib in Narowal, where they bow in reverence and receive blessings.
Hence, reopening the corridor without delay would reflect and honour the sentiments of the Sikh community, he said.
The Kartarpur corridor was opened on November 9, 2019, on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Indian pilgrims of all faiths are allowed to undertake round-the-year visa-free travel to the historic gurdwara, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev. PTI JMS CHS RHL
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