Welcoming the Centre's initiative, SAD patron and former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said, "This is indeed a befitting tribute to the great Guru Nanak Dev ji's cosmic vision transcending all kinds of barriers among human beings of different castes, creeds and countries. India Thursday also urged the Pakistan government to build a corridor to Kartarpur Sahib to facilitate easy movement of Indian pilgrims to the shrine.
Akali Dal and AAP Thursday hailed the Centre's move to build and develop the Kartarpur corridor to provide easy passage to Sikh pilgrims visiting a historic gurudwara in Pakistan.
Kartarpur Sahib, located just across the International Border, is the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev and one of the holiest shrines of Sikhs.India will build and develop a corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur district to the International Border to facilitate Sikh pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur on the banks of the Ravi river in Pakistan, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Thursday.
Welcoming the Centre's initiative, SAD patron and former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said, "This is indeed a befitting tribute to the great Guru Nanak Dev ji's cosmic vision transcending all kinds of barriers among human beings of different castes, creeds and countries. India Thursday also urged the Pakistan government to build a corridor to Kartarpur Sahib to facilitate easy movement of Indian pilgrims to the shrine.
Akali Dal patriarch said the NDA government's formal request to Pakistan should decisively remove all hurdles in the path of fulfilling the long-cherished dream of every Sikh to pay obeisance at the historic 'Gurudham'.
Badal thanked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for honouring the sentiments and wishes of the Sikh masses all over the world.
"This is their historic and unprecedented tribute to the Sikh sentiments contained in our daily 'Ardas' (prayer), seeking unrestricted 'Darshan Deedar and Seva Sambhal' (paying obeisance) of all historic shrines from which the Sikh community was weaned away following the partition in 1947, said Badal.
He also appealed to the Pakistan government to reciprocate the Indian government's great initiative and respect the sentiments of the Sikh 'Sangat' all across the world in this regard.
Former CM also recalled his Pakistan visit in 1999, when he accompanied the late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had acceded to SAD-BJP government's request to start the process of fulfilling the daily Sikh prayers at the historic shrines all over the world.
The late Prime Minister had taken up the issue with his counterpart in Pakistan then but there had been no response from across the border so far, he said.
"I hope that the Pakistan government fully respects and joins in the atmosphere of devotion and religious fervour in this year of the 550th Parkash Utsav of the great Guru and opens the border for unrestricted and hassle free pilgrimage to the historic shrine at Kartarpur Sahib, he said.
Badal also thanked the Centre for deciding to run a special train which will pass through all holy places linked with Guru Nanak Dev, and to release commemorative coins and postage stamps on the sacred occasion of 'Parkash Utsav'.
Hailing the Union government's move, opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said it has fulfilled the wish of Sikh 'sangat' (community) residing around the globe.
In a joint statement, the Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Harpal Singh Cheema and chief spokesperson MLA Baljinder Kaur, also appealed to the Centre to simplify visa requirements to visit other religious places in Pakistan as well.
The leaders also demanded to set up an office of External Affairs ministry at Amritsar to assist the pilgrims visiting the religious places exclusively.
Meanwhile, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa also welcomed the union cabinet's decision to develop the Kartarpur corridor.
However, he also viewed the announcement with a certain degree of reservation.
"The Government of India has been oscillating on its position on the opening of the Kartarpur corridor. Earlier this year, the Government of India categorically rejected holding any discussion with the Pakistan government on this issue. Such a policy flip-flop yields a degree of uncertainty to the issue," Bajwa said in a statement.
I do hope that the Government of India is sincere in its intent and genuinely seeks to work towards the opening and development of the corridor which is of immense importance to the Sikh community across the world," he said.
Bajwa asked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use his good offices and persuade the Pakistani establishment to ensure smooth access from their end.
"A denial of access from the Pakistani side will render the cabinet decision meaningless and will appear as a ploy to play with the sentiments of crore of Sikhs, said Bajwa.
Kartarpur Sahib is situated in Narowal district of Pakistan's Punjab province and there have been demands to build a corridor linking it with Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of Punjab.
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