Sushma Swaraj exposes lie of Navjot Singh Sidhu; says no official communication from Pak over Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara

NewsBharati    19-Sep-2018
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New Delhi, September 19: Pakistani government has so far neither agreed to include visits to Kartarpur Sahib by Indian pilgrims under bilateral protocol nor has sent any official communication for establishing the corridor. This was said by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday last week in a letter to Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

 

Interestingly, Sushma Swaraj’s reply to Harsimrat Kaur Badal exposed the lie of Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu’s claims, who on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak said that Pakistan will open the corridor of Kartarpur Sahib.

In reply to a letter of Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Minister Sushma Swaraj said, “Dear I received your letter of 13 September 2018 regarding facilitating visits of the Indian pilgrims, including through a corridor, to the holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib located in Pakistan. The Government has been taking up the matter with Pakistan. However, Pakistan has so far neither agreed to include visits to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib by the Indian pilgrims under the bilateral Protocol on visits to religious shrines of 1974 nor has it sent any official communication for establishing a corridor.”

Notably, the reply to Harsimrat Kaur Badal was given on 15th September this year. Sushma Swaraj further informed Harsimrat Kaur Badal that over the past many years Pakistan authorities have only allowed the limited number of visits of the Indian pilgrims to the Gurudwara along with the visit to other shrines in Pakistan.

However, in the end, the External Affairs Minister assured you that India remains seized of the matter and will continue to take up the matter with Pakistan.

BACKGROUND:

The Kartarpur route along the India-Pakistan border is barely three kilometres away from Gurdaspur, Punjab. If opened, it will allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan where Guru Nanak died in 1539.