Pakistan is looking forward to hosting Sikh devotees from India on the upcoming occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder and first spiritual leader of the Sikh religion, Foreign Office said, adding they have been expecting India to facilitate the travel of pilgrims from November 17-26. The corridor, which remained closed since March 2019 when the Covid pandemic began, was briefly opened last year under Covid protocol.

In a statement on Tuesday, Islamabad said it expected New Delhi in the spirit of cooperation would allow pilgrims to travel through the corridor to make it to the temple. Pakistan further alleged that the Indian government is yet to open the corridor despite repeated calls by the Sikh community, reported The Express Tribune.

The corridor, long demanded by the Sikh community, was inaugurated by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the eve of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. The Pakistan government also re-built the Gurudwara, which is considered the birthplace of the Sikh faith.   

India was initially hesitant--given Pakistan’s record of fomenting and aiding Khalistani insurgency in the 80s and 90s--over the possibility of Pakistan intelligence misusing the initiative for radicalization and promoting separatism. However, later New Delhi agreed under the pressure from community leaders. 

Initially, there had been some hopes if the cooperation on the corridor between the two regional rivals would provide a chance for further cooperation in other similar areas, which could ease the lives of civilians on both sides. However, the tense relations and continued trust deficit continued between New Delhi and Islamabad.

At the time of inauguration, UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres had called it “the corridor of hope.” 

(SAM)