India to complete Sikh pilgrimage corridor by Sept. 30

By Shuriah Niazi

New Delhi (AA) - India will complete the construction work of a Sikh pilgrimage corridor on its side by Sept. 30, a government official said.

Pakistan and India had agreed last November to open Kartarpur border crossing for Sikh pilgrims ahead of the 550th anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, to be held later this year in Pakistan.

The corridor will give uninterrupted access to Sikh pilgrims from India to visit a holy site in Pakistan along the border between both countries’ homonymous provinces of Punjab.

“The entire construction of the passage would be accomplished by September 30, well in time before the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of founder of Sikh religion Guru Nanak Dev,” said Vijay Inder Singla, public works minister of India’s Punjab state, in an official statement.

“The world class infrastructure would be in place to facilitate the devotees, who are expected to pay obeisance at Kartarpur Sahib via this corridor,” the statement added.