Tag: Kartarpur

  • Pakistan High Commission issues visa to Indian to visit brother after 74 years

    Pakistan High Commission issues visa to Indian to visit brother after 74 years

    The Pakistan High Commission has issued a visa to Indian Sika Khan to visit Pakistan. Sika Khan was reunited with his brother Muhammed Siddique after 74 years at the Kartarpur Corridor.

    “Today, Pakistan High Commission issues visa to Sika Khan to visit his brother, Muhammed Siddique and other family members in Pakistan. The two brothers separated in 1947 were recently reunited after 74 years at Kartarpur Sahib Corridor,” the Pakistan High Commission in India wrote in a tweet.

    Sika Khan, in a video message, thanked Pakistan High Commission for issuing him a visa.

    The video of them meeting after 74 years went viral on social media. The moment when they hugged each other brought tears to their eyes, and people watching the video.

    https://twitter.com/thesinghsonia/status/1481167726827937793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1481167726827937793%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthecurrent.pk%2Ftwo-brothers-reunite-at-kartarpur-corridor-after-74-years-from-pakistan-india%2F

    The Kartarpur Corridor, which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district, reopened in November.

  • Kartarpur Corridor reunites Pakistani and Indian friends separated during partition

    Kartarpur Corridor reunites Pakistani and Indian friends separated during partition

    The Kartarpur Corridor has brought together two friends separated after India was divided into two countries, Dawn has reported.

    Sardar Gopal Singh from India who is now 94 and Muhammad Bashir from Pakistan who is now 91 got separated in 1947. They both hugged each other when they met almost after six decades.

    Sardar Gopal Singh came to Kartarpur to perform religious rites at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib and Bashir visited Kartarpur as a visitor.

    Gopal Singh, while recalling old memories, said that both of them were young at the time of partition. Bashir, who is from Narowal, said that even before partition, Gopal and he used to visit Baba Guru Nanak’s Gurdwara.

    Read more-Indian Punjab CM, Indian politicians at Kartarpur to celebrate Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary

    People on social media have expressed their love for both Gopal and Bashir.

    https://twitter.com/RezinaSultana9/status/1462690486116782081

    The Kartarpur Corridor, which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district, reopened in November. The pilgrimage to the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara was suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

  • Indian Punjab CM, Indian politicians at Kartarpur to celebrate Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary

    Indian Punjab CM, Indian politicians at Kartarpur to celebrate Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary

    Indian Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Charanjit Channi, along with other Indian politicians, visited the Kartarpur Corridor.

    Indian Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, along with his ministers, is part of the first delegation to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.

    The Kartarpur Corridor, which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district, reopened on Wednesday. The pilgrimage to the Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara was suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    On the directions of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, the best arrangements are being made for Sikh pilgrims who are participating in 552 birthday celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak from all over the world, including India and within the country.

  • Amir Khan requests Indian govt to allow Sikhs to visit Kartarpur

    Amir Khan requests Indian govt to allow Sikhs to visit Kartarpur

    British-Pakistani boxer Amir Khan visited Kartarpur on Wednesday and requested the Indian government to allow the Sikh community to visit Guru Nanak’s shrine.

    Calling the Gurdwara a true symbol of interfaith harmony, Amir in a video, said that Pakistan is giving real religious freedom to all minorities while India is taking steps against its minorities.

    “I request the Indian government to allow Sikh people to visit Pakistan Kartarpur and to open the gates,” he said.

    The sportsman also posted pictures and videos from his trip on his Instagram account. The boxer can be seen exploring the shrine and interacting with members of the Sikh community.

  • India stops Sikh pilgrims from attending Baba Guru Nanak’s death anniversary in Pakistan

    India stops Sikh pilgrims from attending Baba Guru Nanak’s death anniversary in Pakistan

    The Indian government has barred Sikh pilgrims from travelling to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartapur to take part in the 481st death anniversary rituals of Baba Guru Nanak.

    Pakistan in June had informed India that it was ready to reopen Kartarpur Corridor and invited New Delhi for a discussion on protocols for the safe visit of pilgrims during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The decision was taken after many Sikh pilgrims had started arriving from across the world to attend the event.

    The Foreign Office (FO) also wrote two letters to its Indian counterpart regarding the arrival of Sikh pilgrims in Pakistan through the corridor. The first letter was written on June 27 and the second on August 27, but New Delhi did not respond to either.

    The pilgrims have been taking part in the 481st death anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak at Kartarpur for the past three days. Tuesday was the last day of the event.

  • UN Secretary-General appreciates Pakistan’s peace efforts

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur and the Kartarpur Corridor on Tuesday during his four-day visit to Pakistan. Minister of Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri accompanied the him on the Kartarpur visit.

    Mr. Guterres took to twitter to appreciate Pakistan’s efforts for peace and inter-faith harmony.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur

    “This is the best symbol that we can give for a world in peace and for a world in which there is mutual respect and there is the acceptance of what is different. Recognising diversity is a blessing, is a richness…not a threat. When we see in so many parts of the world fighting in the name of religion, it is necessary to say that religions unite us for peace and the best symbol is this [Kartarpur] shrine,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

    Earlier, the UN Secretary-General visited Lahore and administered polio drops to children in a local school.

  • Sikhs bring Indian tomatoes for Kartarpur Gurdwara langar

    Sikhs bring Indian tomatoes for Kartarpur Gurdwara langar

    Sikhs visiting the Data Sahib at the recently opened Kartarpur Corridor are bringing tomatoes from India as a gift for the langar khana which provides a free vegetarian meal to all visitors.

    According to reports, Sikh pilgrims coming to the Gurdwara from India brought bags of tomatoes as a present for the langar khana. Not only tomatoes, they also brought other vegetables for the community kitchen.

    A yatree Sardar Hari Chand said they brought tomatoes to the Gurdwara from India because they heard that the fruit was being sold at a very high price in Pakistan – tomatoes were being sold for Rs300 to Rs400 per kg in Narowal while in India tomatoes are available for only Rs20.

    Another pilgrim said: “We’ve heard the rates of vegetables are very high in Pakistan; while coming from Amritsar, we also brought ginger, green chilli, garlic and onion.”

    Pilgrims said that they feel happy bringing food for the Gurdwara and that langar dishes are incomplete without tomatoes.

    Pilgrims shared that they feel happy when they contribute their share in the form of cash or anything, adding that no Sikh would like to visit anyone’s home without a gift, so how could they forget to bring something to their guru’s house.

  • Indian woman tried to escape Kartarpur with Pakistani boyfriend

    Indian woman tried to escape Kartarpur with Pakistani boyfriend

    Pakistani authorities last month thwarted an attempt by a Sikh girl to enter the country illegally.  

    According to reports, the girl came to Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Kartarpur and entered Pakistan as a Sikh pilgrim in order to meet her Pakistani boyfriend at the Darbar Sahib.

    The girl, identified as Manjeet Kaur, met her boyfriend who was from
    Faisalabad. The guy had come along with a couple of friends including a woman.

    Kaur decided to stay in Pakistan and the woman who had accompanied the Faisalabad man gave the girl her visitor card. Kaur then discarded her pilgrim card in a dustbin in order to avoid being caught.

    However, Pakistani authorities hindered the plan and confronted the couple before the girl could escape into the country.  

    Following the incident, security around the Sikh holy site was tightened and visitors will now have to provide biometric verification when exiting the holy place as well. 

  • Ahad Raza Mir praises Kartarpur driver for being ‘a real hero’

    Ahad Raza Mir praises Kartarpur driver for being ‘a real hero’

    The heartwarming exchange between Indian journalist Ravinder Singh Robin and Saddam Hussain, the driver escorting the worshippers going to Kartarpur has caught the attention of heartthrob Ahad Raza Mir who lauded Hussain for being a real hero.

    Sharing the friendly video on his Instagram, Ahad wrote, “This is what every Pakistani feels and stands for: compassion, humanity and peace.”

    “Saddam Hassan really sums up the fact that Pakistan welcomes everyone. You are a real hero!” he added.

    The actor then requested his fans and followers to help him connect to the driver so he can “meet and thank him for being such a good ambassador of our country.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B4y9sROpERn/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Read more: Sunny Deol praises Pakistan, says he received a lot of love

    The video which has been shared by Ravinder Singh himself shows him asking Hussain what he feels about the gesture by the Pakistani government for Sikhs across the border.

    “I don’t think you are as happy as me,” Hussain said smiling. “The way my eyes have welled up with tears. I am very happy.”

    He continued, “Seeing you all, I have that feeling that one has when one goes for Hajj. This is the same experience for you.”

    The video of this exchange went viral on social media and won everyone’s hearts. In case you missed it, watch it here:

    Read more: Celebs praise PM Khan for Kartapur opening

    Ahad had previously also lauded the Pakistani government for taking this initiative and praised Prime Minister Imran Khan for being “a true leader.”

  • Is PM Imran really related to Indian Punjab CM Amarinder Singh?

    Is PM Imran really related to Indian Punjab CM Amarinder Singh?

    Local media reports are headlining that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Indian Punjab’s Chief Minister Amarinder Singh share family ties. But while the two certainly do share history, they are not related.

    According to an official statement issued by Singh’s office, PM Imran and Singh on their five-minute bus ride on the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor discovered a ‘special connect’ between their two families even though they had not met each other before and neither did the two know each other personally.

    Read more: Sikhs demand Nobel prize for Imran over Kartarpur opening

    The statement read, “During his conversation with [PM] Imran, Captain Amarinder told the latter that his uncle, Jahangir Khan had played for Patiala, along with Mohd Nisar, Lala Amarnath, fast bowler Amar Singh and the two Ali batsmen (Wazir Ali and Amir Ali).

    “These seven players were part of the team captained by Captain Amarinder’s father, Maharaja Yadvinder Singh (the ruler of the erstwhile Patiala state) in 1934-35, for India and for Patiala.”

    Jahangir was married to PM Imran’s maternal aunt, Mubarak, and was a cricketer during the British Raj era.

    The Congress leader’s office said that the bus ride lasted less than five minutes, but, thanks to cricket, it was enough to break the ice between the two leaders.

    Read more: Sunny Deol praises Pakistan, says he received a lot of love

    The Punjab chief minister was part of the group of over 550 Indian pilgrims who were the first Indians to enter Pakistan through the Kartarpur Corridor.

    Singh shared the bus ride with the premier after he was received by PM Imran and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the Zero Point of the International Border of the Kartarpur corridor.