Modi sees Kartarpur Corridor as bridge between India and Pakistan

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the Kartarpur corridor between India and Pakistan would act as a bridge between between the two countries.

He was speaking at a function to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in New Delhi.

The Indian cabinet recently approved a proposal to build a corridor from Indian Punjab’s Gurdaspur district to the international border with Pakistan.

Indian prime minister referring to the fall of the Berlin Wall in the ceremony said that the opening of Kartarpur corridor might lead to a better future between the two countries.

”Had anyone ever thought that the Berlin Wall would fall. May be with the blessings of Guru Nanak, this corridor will not just remain a corridor, but act as a bridge between the people of the two countries,” Modi said.

While referring the Partition Modi said, “What has happened in 1947 has happened.” The Indian prime minister was of the opinion that the issues between the governments and the armies would continue and only time will show the way out.

Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara at the bank of Ravi river in Pakistan is about four km from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine.

The Sikh community was demanding for a long time to build a corridor linking India’s border district of Gurdaspur to historic gurudwara in Pakistan. The corridor will give Indian pilgrims easy access to the shrine in Kartarpur.

Pakistan welcomed the Indian move and conveyed its decision to open the Kartarpur corridor.

“It is a step in the right direction and we hope such steps will encourage voice of reason and tranquility on both sides of the border,” Information minister Fawad Chaudhry said in a tweet.