[image: Navjot]
DELHI – Indian Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has written toExternal Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, urging her to “make every possibleeffort” on the issue of Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara and said Pakistan hasshown “positive intent” in providing access to the historic shrine.
This comes after the local government, tourism and cultural affairsminister had claimed on September 7 that Pakistan had decided to allow Sikhpilgrims direct access to the historic Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara just acrossthe border.
In a letter written to the union minister on Saturday,cricketer-turned-politician said: “Now an opportunity has knocked on ourdoors. Pakistan has shown a positive intent towards the long pending demandof Kartarpur Sahib corridor. Pilgrims and we all have been demanding forthis corridor since years”.
He said some positivity came on this issue when he visited Pakistan for theoath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan.
But now with the county’s Information minister Fawad Chaudhary saying thatcorridor will be opened and even visa wont be required as part of the 550thbirth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev ji, it is time for Indiato take a positive step on this highly emotional issue, he said.
“When opportunity knocks, kindly step up and open the door,” wrote Sidhu.
Read Top Stories
“…Appropriate measures on the Kartarpur Sahib corridor must be taken asSikh sentiments are strongly attached with it. Hoping for a positiveresponse from you,” Sidhu further worte.
Sidhu had faced flak after he returned home last month from the swearing-inceremony of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad, where he wasseen hugging Pakistan Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa Defending his hugwith Bajwa, Sidhu had said last month that he was overwhelmed when toldthat Pakistan was making efforts to allow access to Kartarpur Sahib.
“The opening of this corridor will be a huge thing for the Sikh communityall over the world. Even though both neighbours have had sour relations fordecades but the corridor if opened can bring peace and prosperity betweenthe two countries. This can break barriers, build bridges and improverelations between the two nations,” he said in the letter.
Sidhu said among various historical Gurdwaras in Pakistan, GurdwaraKartarpur Sahib Ji is of great significance.
“This is the place where Guru Nanak Dev Ji spent almost 18 years of hislife. The Gurdwara Sahib is very close to the International border. Such isthe sentiment of the pilgrims in India that they visit the border everydayjust to have a glimpse of this holy shrine through binoculars arranged bythe Border Security Force at the Border in the Dera Baba Nanak region ofIndia,” he said in the letter.
