Islamabad/New Delhi: Local sources have confirmed social media reports that at least eight domes of the recently renovated Sikh shrine collapsed during rain and thunderstorm on Friday evening, causing major embarrassment to Prime Minister Imran Khan's government. New Delhi and Islamabad in November 2018 established a direct border-crossing linking Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, the final resting place of the Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak, with Dera Baba Nanak in Indian Punjab's Gurdaspur district.

 Islamabad had used the Sikh pilgrimage as an image-building exercise by showcasing the corridor as Pakistan's initiative towards peace-building and communal harmony. Sources on Sunday said that the domes at Kartarpur were constructed with cheap substandard material even as the Sikh community had objected to it.

The government authorities had got the pre-fabricated domes of fiberglass made and screwed them to the structure, to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan's deadline and to reduce the cost, sources said.

Interestingly, Pakistan has levied an entry fee of US$20 for visitors, to raise money for the maintenance of the shrine (IANS)