UK Parliamentarians lauds Pak-India goodwill gesture for opening corridor

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Nation special report

LONDON: A selected group of Pak and India origin British Parliamentarians have appreciated the gesture of both the governments to facilitate Sikh community during their visit to religious place Nankana Saheb in Pakistan through corridor between Nankana sahib and Kartarpur.

LONDON: Dr. Rami Ranger and Murtaza Hashwani signing the MoU on Wednesday. UK Parliamentarians (from left) Tan Dhesi, M. Afzal Khan, Barrister Yasmin Qureshi, Naz Shah, Khalid Mahmood, Ambassador Hameed Kidwai, Steven Henderson, Saleem Sheikh and M. Sarwar are watching signing ceremony at Parliament Committee Room. (Nastion picture Mushtaq Sandhu. More pictures on page-3)

It is pertinent to mention here thatin November last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur Corridor along the India-Pakistan border, allowing Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Dev died in 1539.

The construction of the corridor will facilitate hundreds of thousands pilgrims from India to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur on the banks of river Ravi in Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Dev ji spent 18 years of his life.

Hasho Group and British Sikh Association sign MoU to facilitate Sikh pilgrims

In order to implement the gigantic plan, following three days of comprehensive meetings in London bringing together leaders from the UK’s leading Sikh communities and The Hashoo Group – one of Pakistan’s largest conglomerates, the Pakistani delegation’s visit successfully concluded Wednesday evening at the Parliament House.

Despite the pressure of a pending vote in the House, seven Members of Parliament of Indo Pak origin met with the delegation and their Sikh hosts, at a formal meeting in the Commons.  Chaired by Barrister Yasmin Qureshi MP, all the MPs were keen to hear of the Kartapur plans, and all congratulated and thanked the Pakistani government and Prime Minister Imran Khan on their vision to promote access to key Sikh religious sites.  

Each of the MP’s have significant numbers of both Pakistani and Indian constituents, and the feedback they have received from the latter has been only positive, and all see the initiative as a greater one towards the development of understanding and peace between the two nations. 

All MPs spoke at the occasion and regarded the Corridor Plan as good omen for both countries to establish peace and stability in the region. One Pak origin MP Faisal Rashid was of the view that once peace and friendship are restored between India and Pakistan, the Kashmir issue would also be resolved.