After paying obeisance at historic Sikh shrines, 517 pilgrims return from Pakistan
The pilgrims crossed back into India amid chants of religious slogans and a warm welcome from family members and members of the Sikh community.
The pilgrims crossed back into India amid chants of religious slogans and a warm welcome from family members and members of the Sikh community.
The High Commission also wished a spiritually rewarding ‘yatra’ to the pilgrims visiting Pakistan on this occasion.
The Sikh devotees were travelling from a gurdwara in Lahore to Peshawar in the bus when it was hit by the train en route to Lahore from Karachi.
While speaking to the media in Pakistan, a number of pilgrims praised the initiative to open the Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate the Sikh community.
Construction of the 4.2 km-long Kartarpur corridor is targeted to be completed by October 31, a week before the celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
Pakistan has decided to complete the process of issuance of visas to Sikh pilgrims by September 30 to facilitate their participation at the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in Nankana Sahib on November 12.
Government sources said that a ten-member committee on Kartarpur was set up by the Pakistan cabinet three days back, which has controversial names including a pro-Khalistan leader.
Officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), National High Authority of India and other related departments represent the Indian side at the talks.
The move is in line with Pakistan's policy of promoting inter-faith harmony and religious tolerance and Mohammad Ali Jinnah's vision of a peaceful neighbourhood, an official said.
Talking about initiatives he had taken to normalise ties with India, Khan said he had opened a ‘visa-free peace corridor’ to Kartarpur Sahib so that Indian Sikh pilgrims could visit a holy shrine in Pakistan.
