Indian envoy's Kartarpur Sahib visit boosts corridor hopes

  • | Thursday | 30th August, 2018

On April 14, Bisaria and other officials of Indian high commission were barred from entering Gurdwara Panja Sahib to meet Indian Sikh devotees visiting to celebrate Baisakhi at the pilgrimage centre. Previously, the Pakistan government had prevented Bisaria twice from visiting Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasanabdal, some 40km from Islamabad. Bisaria was again stopped on the way to the same gurdwara to meet Indian Sikh devotees who had arrived to mark the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh also urged external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to take up the issue of the corridor with her Pakistani counterpart after Sidhu’s return.With the change of the government in Pakistan, Bisaria seems to have been again allowed to visit a gurdwara. "They paid obeisance at the gurdwara, held Japji Sahib path and partook langar," said Gobind, adding that the Indian high commissioner said he was curious to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib after hearing about the corridor in the media and wanted to know the history of the place where Guru Nanak Dev lived for almost 18 years.INDIAN DIPLOMAT IN KARTARPURTalking to TOI on telephone from Kartarpur Sahib, Gobind Singh, the granthi of the gurdwara, said Bisaria and five more officials of the Indian high commission in Islamabad visited the holy site on Wednesday afternoon.“They paid obeisance at the gurdwara, held Japji Sahib path and partook langar,” said Gobind, adding that the Indian high commissioner said he was curious to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib after hearing about the corridor in the media and wanted to know the history of the place where Guru Nanak Dev lived for almost 18 years.There has been a renewed demand for the opening of the 6-km corridor between the two historic gurdwaras and Bajwa’s assurance to Sidhu has led to the hope that this decades-old demand might be fulfilled, albeit temporarily.

AMRITSAR: Indian high commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria on Wednesday led a six-member delegation to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Narowal district of Pakistan's Punjab province to pay obeisance and to explore possibilities of opening of the corrdior connecting this gurdwara to Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district The high commissioner's visit comes more than 10 days after cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu 's controversial hug with the Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa during the oath-taking ceremony of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on August 18 after Bajwa reportedly assured the Punjab minister of all help to open the corridor for the pilgrims attending the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev next year.Talking to TOI on telephone from Kartarpur Sahib, Gobind Singh, the granthi of the gurdwara, said Bisaria and five more officials of the Indian high commission in Islamabad visited the holy site on Wednesday afternoon."They paid obeisance at the gurdwara, held Japji Sahib path and partook langar," said Gobind, adding that the Indian high commissioner said he was curious to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib after hearing about the corridor in the media and wanted to know the history of the place where Guru Nanak Dev lived for almost 18 years.INDIAN DIPLOMAT IN KARTARPURTalking to TOI on telephone from Kartarpur Sahib, Gobind Singh, the granthi of the gurdwara, said Bisaria and five more officials of the Indian high commission in Islamabad visited the holy site on Wednesday afternoon.“They paid obeisance at the gurdwara, held Japji Sahib path and partook langar,” said Gobind, adding that the Indian high commissioner said he was curious to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib after hearing about the corridor in the media and wanted to know the history of the place where Guru Nanak Dev lived for almost 18 years.There has been a renewed demand for the opening of the 6-km corridor between the two historic gurdwaras and Bajwa’s assurance to Sidhu has led to the hope that this decades-old demand might be fulfilled, albeit temporarily. Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh also urged external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to take up the issue of the corridor with her Pakistani counterpart after Sidhu’s return.With the change of the government in Pakistan, Bisaria seems to have been again allowed to visit a gurdwara. Previously, the Pakistan government had prevented Bisaria twice from visiting Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasanabdal, some 40km from Islamabad. On April 14, Bisaria and other officials of Indian high commission were barred from entering Gurdwara Panja Sahib to meet Indian Sikh devotees visiting to celebrate Baisakhi at the pilgrimage centre. Bisaria was again stopped on the way to the same gurdwara to meet Indian Sikh devotees who had arrived to mark the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

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