Prime Minister Imran Khan will perform the groundbreaking of Kartarpur Corridor today (Wednesday) to facilitate Sikh pilgrims visiting their holy places in the country. The ceremony will also be attended by an official delegation from India including its Minister for Food Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister for Housing Hardeep S Puri, Indian Punjab Minister for Local Government and Tourism and former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, besides Indian journalists.
However, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who was also invited by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to attend the event, declined the invitation citing her engagements in her party's elections.
"Our positive gesture and good intention is well known to the whole world," Foreign Minister Qureshi said, adding that soon after taking his oath Prime Minister Imran Khan in his first speech had invited India for a dialogue. "We are still pursuing the same policy of dialogue," Qureshi further stated in a statement.
Updating National Assembly on the development last week, the foreign minister said Pakistan has decided to open the Kartarpur Corridor for the 550th Birth Anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak in 2019.
"Opening the corridor will allow Sikh Yatrees ease of access for their most reverential place of worship which has been their longstanding demand. This is also reflective of the importance and primacy that Pakistan gives to all minorities," Qureshi further said.
The four kilometres long Kartarpur Corridor will connect Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur area of Narowal district with Dera Baba Nanak in India's Gurdaspur district.
Pakistan will build the corridor from the Indian border to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur while the other part from Dera Baba Nanak in Indian Punjab's Gurdaspur district up to the border will be constructed by India.
The initiative for opening the corridor was taken by Pakistan which was later endorsed by the Indian side.