Lahore: Pakistam Prime Minister, Imran Khan to lay the fondation stone of Kartarpur corridor on November 28, this was stated by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qurishi in Islamabad.

The survey for construction of corridor which will cross to bridges one on Ravi river and one on small rivulet close to Kartarpur Sikh shrine has been completed. The bridge on Ravi will have two passages one each of 3.50 meters each and six Kilometer road will also be constructed from Narowal-Shakargarh road to Indian border from pakistan side.

Only a few months ago, Indian government refused to respond to an informal proposal sent by Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa through Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Pilgrims would then be able to visit the holy shrine throughout the year. The Kartarpur corridor will be implemented as an integrated development project with Government of India funding, to provide smooth and easy passage, with all the modern amenities.

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the setting up a corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of Punjab to the International Border (IB) to facilitate pilgrims from India to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur on the banks of the Ravi river, in Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Dev, founder of the Sikh faith, spent 18 years.

Letter of Indian Government to Pakistan on Kartarpur Corridor

The Cabinet approved sending a letter to the Pakistan government “urging” it to build a corridor on its side of the border.

Only a few months ago, the Central government refused to respond to an informal proposal sent by Pakistan Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa through Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, when the latter attended the swearing-in ceremony of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

In the letter sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, which The Hindu has accessed, the Ministry of External Affairs said it had decided to develop the corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur to the International Border and requested Pakistan to construct a corridor on its side.

“In this context, the government of India urges the government of Pakistan to recognise the sentiments of the Sikh community to develop a corridor with suitable facilities,” the letter said.

The Cabinet also passed a resolution to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji, which falls in year 2019.

“Pilgrims would then be able to visit the holy shrine throughout the year. The Kartarpur corridor will be implemented as an integrated development project with Government of India funding, to provide smooth and easy passage, with all the modern amenities. Government of India will put in place suitable facilities for smooth passage of pilgrims. Government of Pakistan will be urged to recognize the sentiments of the Sikh community and to develop a corridor with suitable facilities in their territory as well,” a government official said.