The Kartarpur Corridor was opened today for Sikh pilgrims
The US on Saturday welcomed the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, saying it sees the initiative as a positive example of neighbours working together for mutual benefit. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday formally inaugurated the historic corridor to facilitate visa-free entry of Sikh pilgrims to one of Sikhism's holiest shrines in the Pakistani town of Narowal.
He welcomed the first batch of the Sikh pilgrims who entered Pakistan through the corridor which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur.
The US "welcomes the opening of a new border crossing" between India and Pakistan, "the Kartarpur corridor," US State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a video posted on Twitter.
"We see this as a positive example of neighbours working together for mutual benefit. The newly opened corridor is a step towards promoting greater religious freedom," she said.
Ms Ortagus also sent her best wishes to the pilgrims crossing the border for the 550th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev.
"It allows Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, an important Sikh house of worship just inside the Pakistan border. This impressive project will transform a remote three-acre site across a sensitive international boundary," Ms Ortagus said.
"Congratulations to India and Pakistan on this initiative, and our best wishes to the pilgrims making the crossing for the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak's birth," Ms Ortagus said.
Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life at Kartarpur Sahib.