Pak govt set for Kartarpur inauguration on Saturday

The Pakistan government has made all arrangements to inaugurate the Kartarpur Corridor on Saturday ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, on November 12 when thousands of pilgrims from India and abroad will visit a revered shrine on the occassion.

Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the 4.2 km-long Corridor on Saturday, The Express Tribune reported.

The Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, originally known as Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, is a highly revered Sikh shrine where Guru Nanak Dev spent 18 years of his life and is his final resting place.

On Khan's special instructions, Punjab province Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar and Punjab Minister for Religious Affairs and Auqaf Syed Saeedul Hassan Shah Bukhari visited the Kartarpur Corridor project site to inspect all arrangements on Monday.

They visited the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara Complex and the Zero Line at Kartarpur Border.

Sarwar and Bukhari then inspected the immigration centre, shuttle bus service and other facilities which have been developed in the recording period of one year.

Sarwar, along with with Sikh yatrees, also installed gold made "palki" at the Gurdwara.

Speaking to the media, Sarwar said that Pakistan has completed the Kartarpur Corridor project within the stipulated time, adding that the shrine was a gift to the Sikh community across the world by Pakistan.

He further said that 5,000 yatrees from India could visit daily after the inauguration of the corridor.

The governor said he personally inspected all arrangements for Sikh yatrees from Zero Line to the Darbar Sahi.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Sikh pilgrim Sukh Dev Singh said the community was thankful to Khan and the Indian government for making this dream come true.

India and Pakistan signed an agreement to operationalise the Kartarpur Corridor last month.

On November 1, Khan announced waiving conditions of carrying a passport for identification and prior registration for the visitors.

The Pakistan government also exempted the Indian pilgrims from paying a $20 entry fee on the day of inauguration of the corridor and Guru Nanak Dev's birthday.