Amrinder’s invite: President Kovind, PM Modi and Dr Manmohan Singh to attend Kartarpur Corridor event
New Delhi: A day after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi sought to invite former Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amrinder Singh said on Thursday that President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former PM Dr Manmohan Singh will participate in the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev in November.
Dr Manmohan Singh has agreed to be a part of the first ‘jatha’ of pilgrims to the Sikh shrine Kartarpur Sahib across the border in Pakistan, , said the Punjab Government after its Chief Minister met them in New Delhi and invited Kovind, Modi and Dr Singh.
Captain Amarinder urged Dr Singh to facilitate political clearance for Pakistan allowing an all-party 21-member jatha to visit Sri Nankana Sahib, the birth place of the first Guru on the historic occasion.
Celebrations to observe the 550th Prakash Purb will be held from October 30 to November 3, 2019, and bring a Nagar Kirtan to Sultanpur Lodhi via Amritsar (Wagah) later in the day.
Capt. Singh is expected to lead the ‘jatha’ across the border to the Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur Sahib. Kartarpur Sahib is a revered shrine of the Sikh community. It was at this place where Guru Nanak Dev, founder of the religion, settled down and lived for 18 years until his death.
Though the shrine is merely 4.7 km away, pilgrims from India have to take a lengthy route through Lahore to reach there.
In November last year, India and Pakistan agreed to build a Kartarpur Corridor to connect Kartarpur Sahib with Dera Nanak Sahib on the Indian side. It is expected to be inaugurated as part of these celebrations.
Confirming the attendance of President Kovind and Prime Minister Modi, officials said: “the Chief Minister had urged them both, in particular, to participate in the Kartarpur Corridor opening at Dera Baba Nanak and the November 12 main programme at Sultanpur Lodhi”.
