New Delhi, October 22: The signing of the Kartarpur Corridor agreement between India and Pakistan is likely to be held at the "zero point" on the border near the Dera Baba Nanak. It simply means Indian and Pakistani officials won't cross the border while signing the Kartarpur Corridor pact. The two neighbours are likely to sign the agreement on October 24. The signing of the Kartarpur Corridor agreement was expected to take place on October 23.
While India and Pakistan will inaugurate their sections of the Kartarpur Corridor on November 9, it appears that no joint ceremony will be organised in view of tensions between the two countries over the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the corridor on November 9 and dispatch the first lot of pilgrims to visit Kartarpur Sahib gurudwara, where Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life. Kartarpur Corridor: India Requests Pakistan Again to Reconsider Charging $20 From Pilgrims Visiting Shrine, Says 'Ready to Amend the Agreement'.
The foundation stone for the Kartarpur corridor was laid in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu last November. The 4.2 km-long corridor from the Indian side in Dera Baba Nanak area in Punjab's Gurdaspur district will be completed by October 31, a week before the celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Once the religious corridor gets opened, 5,000 pilgrims will be allowed to visit the holy site daily.
The Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara is in Narowal district of Pakistan's Punjab province. The corridor will connect the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Gurdaspur district to the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be a part of the Sikh delegation led by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. They will pay obeisance at the shrine and would return on the same day.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 22, 2019 11:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).