Pilgrimage resumes after India reopens Kartarpur corridor

Pilgrimage resumes after India reopens Kartarpur corridor
LAHORE: Pilgrimage-related activities resumed at the Gurdawara Darbar Sahib on Tuesday after Indian authorities reopened their side of the Kartarpur corridor. The Indian government had closed the corridor on July 20 after floodwaters entered fields of crops near the corridor.

According to a senior official of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), Indian authorities opened the gate of their side of the corridor on Saturday morning following a flag meeting with Pakistan Rangers at the zero-line.

“As many as 106 pilgrims were scheduled to visit the corridor from India on Tuesday (July 25), but only 53 of them made it across to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib,” ETPB administrator Rana Tariq told Dawn on Tuesday.

He said 89 Indian pilgrims are scheduled to visit Kartarpur on July 26 (Wednesday), while the number would increase in the days to tome.

He said the Indian and Pakistani side gates were opened at 8:15am and 8:45am, respectively, on Tuesday, while Sikh pilgrims entered Pakistan through the corridor for visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib around 9:05am.

In reply to a question, Mr Tariq said the Indian authorities were supposed to open the corridor on July 22, but they didn’t do so on the pretext of floods.