Pakistan’s Khan renews dialogue offer to India

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday performed the groundbreaking of four-kilometer long Kartarpur corridor, a new border crossing for Indian Sikh pilgrims.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by ministers, Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Sikh community leaders from Pakistan, India and other countries.

An Indian delegation comprising Minister for Food Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister for Housing Hardeep S. Puri and Indian Punjab’s Minister for Local Government Navjot Singh Sidhu also attended the ceremony.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Khan renewed his offer for dialogue with India.

"Dialogue is the only way to resolve our disputes as both countries are nuclear powers and war is not an option as it would destroy the whole region," he said.

“We have just one problem, Kashmir. If man can walk on the moon, what problems are there that we cannot resolve?," he questioned.

Harsimrat Kaur, an Indian minister, in her speech welcomed Pakistan’s initiative and termed it a “peace corridor.” She hoped the groundbreaking of the corridor would pave the way for reducing tensions between two countries.

Navjot Singh Sidhu, former Indian cricketer and provincial minister of Indian Punjab, thanked Khan for taking a bold step and open the new crossing which was a long-awaited demand of over 120 million Sikh around the world.

Hours after the Pakistani prime minister raised the issue in his speech, Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj said Khan chose to “politicize the pious occasion.”

“Pakistan is reminded that it […] take effective and credible action to stop providing shelter and all kind of support to cross-border terrorism from territories under its control,” Swaraj was quoted as saying by ANI, an Indian news agency.

Earlier, the Indian minister also said her country would not attend the SAARC meeting unless Pakistan stops “terrorist activities in India,” a charge Islamabad denies.

Kartarpur border crossing

Kartarpur border connects Pakistan's northeastern Narowal city to India's eastern Gurdaspur district.

Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib -- situated in Narowal -- is one of the most revered temples for the Sikh community as Baba Guru Nanak spent 18 years of his life there.

A longtime demand of Sikh community from both sides to open the crossing as the distance between the temple and Gurdaspur is arduous.

The project will be completed within a year and Pakistan will open visa free corridor for Sikh pilgrims on Baba Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary in November next year.

On Monday, Indian government also inaugurated the construction of a corridor on their side to make easier for Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit their religious site in Pakistan.

The 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak will be held next year at his birthplace, Nankana Sahib district of Pakistani Punjab.

Pakistan, earlier this year, had announced to celebrate the next year's event at the government level.

Following Islamabad’s move, New Delhi has also invited Pakistani Sikh community to attend the festivities set to begin in November next year.

The two countries have also announced to issue commemorative coins and postage stamps to mark the event besides holding seminars, and symposiums.

Pakistan expects 100,000 pilgrims from within country and abroad to participate in the events scheduled to be held in Nankana Sahib.

* Ahmad Adil contributed to this story from Chandigarh, India.