It will ‘enormously improve’ Indo-Pak ties: Manmohan
Kartarpur (Pakistan): The opening of the Kartarpur corridor will “enormously improve” relations between India and Pakistan, former prime minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday after he arrived here as part of the first batch of the Indian pilgrims through the cross-border pathway.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan formally inaugurated the historic corridor to facilitate the visa-free entry of Indian Sikh pilgrims. He welcomed the first batch of the Indian Sikh pilgrims who entered Pakistan through the corridor which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab’s Gurdaspur.
Singh arrived here as part of the first batch which also included Akal Takht Jathedar Harpreet Singh, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu and BJP MP Sunny Deol.
Speaking to Pakistani reporters, the former prime minister termed the opening of the corridor as a “big moment”. “India and Pakistan relations will improve enormously as a result of this beginning,” he said.
The 87-year-old two-time prime minister and his wife paid obeisance at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.
Chief Minister Amarinder said the Sikh community has been waiting for a free passage for 70 years, and maintained that it is a good beginning, The Nation newspaper reported. (PTI)