Islamabad: Religion should never be seen through the prism of terrorism and politics, Punjab Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said on Wednesday as he described the Kartarpur corridor as a major opportunity to open the hearts of the people in the two neighbouring countries.
Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of Kartarpur corridor, Mr Sidhu said, “We need to revise the thinking about peace. The bloodshed and violence should be stopped for the sake of peace as war is not solution to any problem.”
He said this corridor will connect the hearts of people. The minister said the opening of corridor by Prime Minister Imran Khan will be written in golden words in history.
Mr Sidhu said the governments of Pakistan and India were equally appreciable for facilitating to realise the dreams of over 120 million Sikhs around the world. He said both governments needed to think of moving ahead in their relations. Sidhu said the improvement of relations between Pakistan and India can open many benefits for the people of the two countries.
Mr Sidhu expressed good wishes for Prime Minister Imran Khan and thanked his efforts for opening the highly religious place of Sikhism.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the corridor linking Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur —the final resting place of Sikh faith’s founder Guru Nanak Dev —to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India’s Gurdaspur district.
Mr Sidhu said his “big hearted” friend Khan has kept his promise and ended 70 years of wait for the corridor.
The Kartarpur corridor, which will facilitate the visa-free travel of Sikh pilgrims on both sides, is expected to be completed within six months. He said there had been enough bad blood and that the corridor would be a major opportunity to open the doors of the hearts of the people.
“Violence must stop and peace should return to the region,” he said.
Mr Sidhu said that both the nations should seek a path of brotherhood and live in harmony without any fear with the blessing of Guru Nanak Dev.
Mr Sidhu said that if the borders between both countries opened, it would be possible to transport goods to different parts of Pakistan and even others countries.
“This is my hope, this is my dream ... While there is blood in my veins, I will continue to thank both governments,” he said.
“My father used to tell me that Punjab Mail went till Lahore, I believe that it can go further till Peshawar, till Afghanistan,” he said.
