| Pak offers 15-04-08
Pakistan Reiterates her willingness on Kartarpur Corridor
Mr. Ahsen Iqbal, Minister, Minority Affairs, Govt of
Pakistan has reiterated that Pakistan is still willing to grant corridor to
Kartarpur sahib and it is the Govt of India with which the matter is
pending.
see the original news in Punjabi daily Ajit of April15,
2008
which also available at its website at:-
Mr. Tridivesh Singh Maini an author of International
repute has also forwarded a similar news report that appeared in Indian
Express of April 16, 2008
Pakistan open to visa-free Sikh pilgrimage
Tridivesh Singh Maini
New Delhi, April 15: Pakistan PM Yousuf Raza Gillani has assured a
delegation of Sikhs of full support in the maintenance of Sikh shrines.
The delegation which called on Gillani in the presence of Ahsan Iqbal,
Minister for Education and Minority affairs, comprised Sikhs from
Pakistan, India, the US and the UK.
The Pakistan PM also lauded minorities for their contribution to the
Pakistani society. The Sikh pilgrims thanked the PM for the maintenance
of Sikh shrines and the arrangements made for their visit.
Bibi Surjeet Kaur from Kashmir requested the Pakistani Government to
ease out visa norms for Sikhs wanting to travel by the
Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus.
She said that a lot of Sikhs from Indian Kashmir were keen to visit
their religious shrines on the Pakistani side of Kashmir.
Earlier during the Baisakhi celebrations at the historic Sikh shrine of
Panja Sahib, the Religious Affairs Minister emphatically stated that the
Pakistani Government has no objection to visa free travel of Sikh
pilgrims from Dera Baba Nanak (Indian Punjab) to the historic Sikh
shrine of Kartarpur Sahib (Narowal) via what would be called the
Kartarpur Corridor.
The Government of India would also have to give consent for visa free
travel from Dera Baba Nanak to Narowal. This would be an important step
as Sikhs from India and abroad have been demanding this ever since 2001.
Since 2003, the Pakistani Government has been taking important
initiatives for the upkeep of Sikh religious shrines.
Prominent among those in the delegation were American Gurdwara
Parbandhak Committee Coordinator, Dr Pritpal Singh, Hardev Singh,
Surinder Singh Dhuri, Balvinder Chaheru, Baldev Singh, Kuldip Singh,
Bibi Surjeet Kaur from Kashmir and two Pakistani Sikhs — Bishan Singh
and Sham Singh.
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