Prime Minister Imran Khan formally inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor in a colorful ceremony on Saturday, paving the way for Sikh Indian pilgrims to visit one of the most sacred places of their religion in Pakistan without needing a visa.
"First, I congratulate the Sikh community for the 550th anniversary of the birth of Baba Guru Nanak and welcome everyone," the prime minister said at the beginning of his speech, paying tribute to the government team for completing the Kartarpur project. in a matter of months.
"I greet you all. I had no idea they were so efficient. That means we can do much more," he told government officials.
"I am always very happy to see the Sikh community that has come here. God lives in the hearts of all of us. All the messengers who have come and gone have only brought two messages, that of peace and justice.
"These two things distinguish us from the animal kingdom," he said.
Prime Minister Imran noted that the lessons that can be drawn from the teachings of Guru Nanak are about uniting people and not spreading hate.
"I am happy to be able to do this for you," he told the hundreds of Sikh pilgrims. "Believe me, I had no idea how important this place is; I discovered it a year ago.
He said that the inability of the Sikhs in the past to visit the sanctuary of Kartarpur was similar to that Muslims could see Madina from a distance but not be able to approach her.
"That's why I am happy to see you so happy and the way your hearts have nothing but prayers for us."
Citing the examples of the saints of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Nelson Mandela and Sufi, the prime minister said that a true leader is one who always unites people and does not spread hatred to win votes.
He continued: "The first thing I did after becoming prime minister was to tell him [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi says that poverty is our mutual problem, and the way to face it is to open our borders.
to people and commerce.
"I met Manmohan Singh during a conference and I remember that when he was the prime minister he had said that & # 39; all of South Asia can rise if we solve Kashmir & # 39; and that's what I told Modi.
"But it saddens me to say that Kashmir has gone beyond a territorial issue. This is a matter of humanity, not a territorial dispute."
"The way that [Kashmiris] They stay like animals. They have taken away their rights given by the UNSC.
"If Modi is listening, [he should know that] Justice brings peace and injustice spreads confusion.
"We are going to get rid of this problem," he told Modi, referring to the Kashmir dispute. "So we can live as humans.
"Imagine the happiness that will spread and how we can get people out of poverty.
"I hope this is the beginning. One day, our relations with India will be such that the Kashmir problem (in Partition) would have been resolved at the beginning."
"I also foresee a day when the hatred that has spread in the subcontinent in the last 70 years due to this dispute [will be no more].
"When this problem is resolved and the cashmere obtains their rights, the subcontinent will see prosperity and our entire region will rise in the world, and I pray that this day is not far," he concluded.
& # 39; You have won hearts & # 39;
Former Indian cricketer turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu previously addressed the ceremony, thanking Prime Minister Imran for taking the bold step to build the Kartarpur corridor "regardless of profit or loss."
"You have won hearts," he said as he addressed the prime minister.
After praising Prime Minister Imran, he said: "There are people who are swept away by the tides of time, even the mountains bow before the tides of time, the man lets himself spin as he turns, but then there are those like Imran Khan who resists the passage of time and create history.
"No benefit or loss was weighed. No agreements were considered. My faithful friend (PM Imran) did this for the love of God.
"What will you gain by killing in a war? If you want to win someone, do it for generosity. The enemy cannot die for the loss in that way or be able to keep his head high after being struck by such generosity."
"This Sikh community will take you further than you can imagine," he said, addressing the prime minister. "We will become your spokesperson.
"Four generations of Sikhs were private; for the first time a government has [opened access to Kartarpur] for 140 million sikhs. Alexander won the world through fear and terror. Imran Khan, you are the Alexander who has won the hearts of the world and you rule them all. "
The Minister of Religious Affairs, Pir Noorul Haq Qadri, said in his speech today's ceremony and the opening of the Kartapur Corridor is "the greatest message of peace and love" since Partition.
"Imran Khan, the promise you made to the millions of Sikhs has been fulfilled. And I congratulate Sardar Navjot Singh, since it was you who took this idea to the prime minister.
"Baba Guru Nanak spent the last days of his life here. He spent his life uniting people and spreading the message of love.
"In his last days here he continued spreading the message of unity, truth, peace. His teachings carry the lessons of humanity and his well-being.
"This was the personal interest of the prime minister and his commitment," he said, adding that he prayed that Prime Minister Imran be rewarded by God for winning people's hearts.
& # 39; The doors of the Kartarpur sahib have been opened & # 39;
Previously, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in his speech, gave credit for the "historic" project that was made concrete to Prime Minister Imran and the government team.
"The doors of Kartarpur sahib They have been open to you, "the Foreign Minister said as he addressed members of the Sikh community throughout the world.
He said that the message of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, was of peace and love, but that he had to reflect on who is today "sowing the seeds of hate" in the subcontinent.
"If the Berlin Wall can be demolished, if the Kartarpur Corridor can be opened, then the time limit of the Control Line can also be terminated," Qureshi said, adding that the promise to grant people the right to self-determination of occupied Kashmir can also be met.
He asked the Indian Prime Minister, Modi, who had thanked Prime Minister Imran earlier that day, if he would also give his Pakistani counterpart a chance to thank him.
"You can do it," he told Modi, "raising the curfew in occupied Kashmir, ending the use of pellet guns and ending human rights violations." [and] at the end of the communication blackout ".
He expressed the desire for Modi to open the Srinagar Jamia Mosque for Kashmir Muslims in the way Pakistan opened the Kartarpur gurdwara for the Sikh community.
The minister announced that the prime minister identified 400 temples in the country that will be renovated.
Manmohan leads the Sikh delegation
The Sikhs of the border began arriving in Pakistan today to make a historic pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, which is located in Kartarpur, since Islamabad and New Delhi made history by opening the Kartarpur Corridor.
Prime Minister Imran arrived at the opening ceremony of the corridor using the transportation service used by the pilgrims, according to the state broadcaster. Pay TV.
The prime minister was accompanied by Punjab Prime Minister Usman Buzdar, Governor Chaudhry Sarwar, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Minister of Religious Affairs, Pir Noorul Haq Qadri, and other officials.
Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh led the first delegation of Sikh pilgrims as they crossed to Pakistan through the Kartarpur Corridor. The Indian Prime Minister of Punjab, Amarinder Singh, was also part of the jatha (caravan).
"I hope that relations between India and Pakistan improve greatly as a result of this beginning," Manmohan said. Pay TV as he walked to the side of Pakistan, calling the occasion a "great moment."
The Indian Prime Minister of Punjab said everyone was happy because it had been a wish of the Sikhs to visit their religious sites in Pakistan for 70 years.
"This is a beginning, I hope it continues and many more gurdwaras will be allowed," he said.
In addition to Sidhu, the actor who became a Bollywood politician, Sunny Deol, also attended the opening ceremony.
Foreign diplomats also attended, accompanied by the Foreign Ministry spokesman, Dr. Mohammad Faisal, and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood.
In pictures: Gurdwara Darbar Sahib arranged ready to receive Sikh pilgrims from around the world
Before firing the first group of pilgrims, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed members of the Sikh community and greeted the opening of the corridor.
"I also thank the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, for understanding India's wishes and making Kartarpur a reality," Modi said in his speech. He also thanked the work in both countries for completing the construction in such a short time.
The Indian prime minister said that Baba Guru Nanak was not only a figure revered by the Sikhs but by all mankind.
Around 8,000-10,000 pilgrims are expected to arrive from around the world to celebrate Guru Nanak's 550th birthday on November 12.
The prime minister made the innovative visa-free corridor last year. Since then, the government has employed hundreds of workers to fix the sanctuary, including the construction of a border immigration checkpoint and a bridge, as well as the expansion of the site's land. After tough negotiations between Islamabad and New Delhi, Pakistan and India finally signed an agreement on the project last month.
Before the opening, the prime minister also announced special exemptions to facilitate Indian pilgrims. Pilgrims arriving from India will no longer need a passport to cross into Pakistan as long as they have a valid identity.
The prime minister also announced that he had ordered that the condition be waived for pilgrims to register 10 days before their arrival at the sanctuary of Kartarpur.
In addition, pilgrims arriving on the day of the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor and on the 550th anniversary of the birth of Baba Guru Nanak will not be charged any fees for the visit.
Daily access to up to 5,000 Indian Sikhs has been allowed, with plans to eventually double capacity.
Sikhs from around the world, including some from India who entered from the main border crossing in Wagah after obtaining visas, have been arriving in Pakistan before the celebrations for several days.
Opening edge and hearts
In a statement issued hours before the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, Prime Minister Imran congratulated the Sikh community residing in Pakistan and India on the occasion.
The prime minister said the "unprecedented gesture of goodwill […] it is a reflection of our deep respect for Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the religious feelings of the Sikh community. "
"Today we are not only opening borders but also our hearts for the Sikh community," the statement said.
The prime minister in his statement also said: "Today's inauguration is also a testament to our commitment to the peace of the region. We believe that the road to prosperity in the region and the bright future of our next generation lies in the Peace We believe that this inter-religious relationship Harmony and peaceful coexistence will give us the opportunity to work for the wider interests of the people of the subcontinent.
"While congratulating the Sikh community once again, I also wish to thank all those who contributed to transform this vision into reality in a record time of only 10 months."
Temptingly close
For up to 30 million Sikhs worldwide, it is one of its most sacred places. When Pakistan was expelled from colonial India upon independence from Britain in 1947, Kartarpur ended up on the western side of the border, although most of the region's Sikhs remained on the other side.
Read: The Kartarpur corridor is more than a symbol of a new peace
For them, it is temptingly close, just four kilometers into Pakistan, so close that it is known that Indian Sikhs stand on the other side and simply look through the division on the site.
But decades of enmity between India and Pakistan have left extreme restrictions on their ability to visit.
"This land is sacred to them," said Habib Khan, the 63-year-old imam of a small mosque outside the gurdwara. AFP on Friday.
Pilgrim vans could be seen traveling through Kartarpur on Friday.
The Indian flag could be seen flying across the border, beyond fields dotted with eucalyptus and guava trees, although it was half obscured by the strong fog that covered large areas of southern Asia in recent days.
Ranger contingents dotted the rice-growing region that, being so close to the border, is heavily secured, with multiple control points.
With additional reports of Sanaullah Khan in Islamabad.
Source: https://www.dawn.com/news/1515830/this-is-the-beginning-pm-imran-inaugurates-kartarpur-corridor-on-historic-day