Pakistan committed to open Kartarpur corridor in November: Zulfi Bukhari

• Pakistan committed to open Kartarpur corridor
• India-Pakistan tensions due to the Kartarpur corridor
• Kartarpur Corridor will connect Gurdwara Darbar Sahib with Dera Baba Nanak shrine

NEW YORK: Pakistan is committed to open Kartarpur corridor for the Sikh pilgrims, who  intend to participate the celebrations, marking the 550th birth anniversary of  Baba Guru Nanak in November, a senior aide to Prime Minister Imran Khan  said, asserting the project would be completed under all circumstances.

Visiting Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari,  made this pledge at a meeting with members of the Pakistani and Sikh  communities in Queens, New York, arranged by the Overseas Pakistanis  Global Foundation, a non-governmental organization, devoted to protecting  the rights of overseas Pakistanis.

Responding to a question about the impact of the current India-Pakistan  tensions on the progress of the Kartarpur corridor, he said that this was a  religious project and should be above politics.

The Kartarpur Corridor will connect Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s  Kartarpur with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district and facilitate  visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a  permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Guru  Nanak.

Bukhari told the gathering that Prime Minister Khan had made this  "courageous" decision within three month of his assumption of office as  Kartarpur was sacred to the Sikhs community, saying no one could stop  Pakistan from completing this project.

He also said that Pakistan was determined to promoting religious  tourism to attract maximum number of tourists from across the globe.

“Religious tourism has great potential to attract a large number of  religious  tourists, including Sikh and Buddhists to Pakistan," he said,  pointing out that there are also a number of Buddhist sites in Pakistan  from Swat to Azad Kashmir.

Bukhari also urged the Sikh community to participate in the  September 27 protest demonstration, taking place in front of the  UN building to protest against the policies of the fascist government  of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to stand in solidarity  with the besieged people of Kashmir. People from countries such  as Turkey, Arab, Bangladesh, would also be joining the rally.

Present at the meeting were top leaders of Overseas Pakistanis  Global Foundation -- Zahir Ahmed Maher and Muhammad Tahir  Sandhu.    Amarjit Singh, a prominent Sikh leader, thanked the Prime Minister  and the Government of Pakistan for its decision to open the  Kartarpur corridor which was the long-standing desire of the Sikhs.