Daily Times

According to the teaching of Islam an Islamic state is one where all citizen of the state enjoy equal rights and religion does not become the basis of discrimination. The Quran says there is no compulsion in religion. It commands the Prophet (PBUH) to tell non-believers “Unto you your religion and unto me my religion”. Islam has forbidden all types of discrimination based on religion, color, race, language and caste. In Pakistan all minorities enjoy full religious freedom and live side by side in peace and harmony. For Sikhs Pakistan has great spiritual significance. Pakistan has almost all the holiest shrines of Sikhs. Let us have look at them. First, the holiest place is Nankana Sahib,the gurdwara land bestowed to Guru Nanak by Rai Bular Bhatti, the muslim headman of Talwandi village (Nankana Sahib). Gurdwara is built at the site of Guru’s birth place and childhood home. From here Sikh history and religion originated. Today the city has some 300 Sikh families. Second sacred place is Panja Sahib, Hassan Abdal. Thousand of Sikhs from across the globe visit the site specially in the month of April for Baisakhi Festival. It is where Guru Nanak instilled an important lesson for his adherents. Still visible is the sacred rock with the hand print of Guru Nanak. Another important place is Samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The mausoleum is situated opposite Lahore fort and it is the place where he was cremated. Next sacred site is Kartarpur means (place of God) is located in the Narowal district of Punjab, Pakistan. It is here the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak spent his last 18 years before dying in 1539. I visited this holy place several times, while I was commander Chenab Rangers as it was in my area of responsibility. Prime Minister Imran Khan performed the historic ground breaking ceremony of Kartarpur corridor last year on 28 November 2018. The ceremony was attended by an Indian delegation, Sikh pilgrims and cricketer turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu. The proposal for opening the corridor was mooted by the COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa while talking to Navjot Sidhu at the oath taking ceremony of Imran Khan. The Kartarpur corridor is located four kilometers from international border with India. Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the corridor on 9 November 2019 at the 550thJanam Din celebration of Guru Nanak after which a visa free link between Kartarpur and Derababa will open for pilgrims. On 24 October 2019 Pakistan and India signed the Kartarpur agreement and according to agreement every pilgrim will be charged 20 dollars. The corridor will remain open seven days a week from dawn to dusk. Pilgrims would arrive in the day and leave in the evening. Accommodation for 10000 yatrees and 5 and 7 stars hotels and shopping malls/markets will be completed by 2022. Since 1947 this would be the first time that Indian Sikh pilgrims would be able to travel to Pakistan without visa. Imran Khan recently also laid the foundation stone of for a university named after Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion. It will be set up in Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak. While addressing the gathering, Imran Khan said that setting up an educational institution is the best way to pay homage to Baba Guru Nanak. In Pakistan all non-Muslims are free to perform their ritual with complete liberty and security. They have right to practice their religion alongwith other people of Pakistan. Pakistan has won the hearts of Sikhs all over the world by opening the corridor. It is considered a corridor of substantial peace between the two countries India and Pakistan.

The corridor will remain open seven days a week from dawn to dusk. Pilgrims would arrive in the day and leave in the evening. Accommodation for 10000 yatrees and 5 and 7 stars hotels and shopping malls/markets will be completed by 2022

The writer is a retired brigadier and currently commissioner of the Afghan Refugees Organisation, Balochistan