Daily Times

A group of Punjabi film actors from India starring in ‘Chal Mera Putt 2’ has visited the revered Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Punjab province using the visa-free Kartarpur corridor, an official said on Tuesday.

Actors Harby Sangha, Anita Devgan and Hardeep Gill along with their family members on Monday visited the gurdwara where they were welcomed by Pakistani film and stage actors who co-starred with them in the movie, Kartarpur Corridor chief executive officer (CEO) Muhammad Latif told PTI.

Pakistani artistes Iftikhar Thakur and Qaiser Pia hugged the Indian stars warmly and together visited various parts of the gurdwara, the museum, Kunwan Sahib, Missil Sahab and other parts. The actors also had langar and the gurdwara administration presented them with special gifts.

Harby Sangha expressed his delight saying he was happy to visit the gurdwara and received immense love from the people here, Latif added.

The actor hoped the landmark corridor would bring prosperity in both the countries.

Latif said that an average 200 to 250 Indian Sikhs have been coming here daily since mid-November last. He said the visiting pilgrims have a great time here. The first batch of 28 Indian Sikhs including women had visited the shrine on November 17, 2021 after the Indian government reopened the corridor which was suspended for some 20 months following the COVID-19 outbreak.

Several celebrities including Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and Indian Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his cabinet members have visited the Darbar Sahib since the reopening of the corridor.

They were among over 10,000 Indians who paid visit to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib so far by using visa-free historic corridor, about two years after the pilgrimage was suspended in March 2020 following the Covid-19 outbreak.

The corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, where Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev lived and died at the start of the 16th century, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district. The 4 km-long corridor provides visa free access to Indian pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. In November 2019, Prime Minister Imran Khan had formally inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor as part of the commemoration of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak at a colourful ceremony, paving the way for Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit one of their religion’s holiest sites in Pakistan without needing a visa.