Kartarpur Corridor inauguration will take place on November 9 by PM Narendra Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a state-of-the-art Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) Complex at Kartarpur Corridor in Dera Baba Nanak of Punjab's Gurdaspur district on Saturday. The much-awaited Kartarpur Corridor will connect Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur district with Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan. Home Minister Amit Shah yesterday tweeted that with the opening of Kartarpur Sahib corridor, "the long-cherished dream of millions has been realised". India and Pakistan had on October 24 signed an agreement to open the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, paving way for its inauguration ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev who established the gurdwara in 1522.
Kartarpur Corridor: Here's a look at facilities and features of Passenger Terminal Building (PTB)
1. The Passenger Terminal Building has been designed keeping in mind aspirations and religious sentiments of the followers of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism.
2. The design of the PTB Complex has been inspired by "Khanda", a symbol of Sikh faith that represents the values of oneness and humanity.
3. The much-awaited corridor will have all the necessary passenger amenities to facilitate pilgrims intending to visit the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. The passage up to the zero point on the international border will be covered.
4. The complex will have open areas for kiosks, cloakrooms and adequate parking space.
5. The corridor will facilitate visa-free movement but Indian pilgrims will be required to carry their passports. The complex will also have immigration and customs clearance facilities to process the smooth movement of 5,000 pilgrims per day.
PM Modi had earlier said that by deciding to ink the Kartarpur pact, his government had achieved a milestone for the Sikh community that the Congress could not for the last 70 years.
"The distance between us and the holy place of our guru Kartarpur Sahib is going to end. This opportunity has come after seven decades. What can be a greater misfortune than the fact that we had to see a big centre of our faith through binoculars for 70 years?" news agency ANI had quoted PM Modi as saying at a rally in Haryana's Sirsa district.
The foundation stone for the Kartarpur Corridor was laid down on the Indian side on November 26, 2018. Two days later, the foundation stone was laid on the Pakistani side.
Following a low-key ceremony to sign the agreement, there was some disagreement between India and Pakistan over a $20 entry fee being levied on Sikh pilgrims and India urged Pakistan to reconsider its decision given the "religious and spiritual sentiments" of the pilgrims.