The number of pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan on Sunday reached 1,467, the highest turnout since the Kartarpur corridor was opened on November 9, officials said. The number of devotees to the historic Kartarpur shrine had not crossed the 700-mark per day even since the corridor was opened.
Immigration officials are expecting further increase in the number of pilgrims.
Gurvinder Bajwa, general secretary of Ravi Darshan Abhilashi Sanstha and an aide of late Kuldeep Singh Wadala, who had offered prayers for nearly 18 years for the opening of the corridor, demanded the removal of the condition requiring passport to visit the shrine. “The government should remove the condition of passport as a majority of people do not have it,” he said.
Once the condition was removed, the number of devotees would go up, he said, adding that the requirement of passport be replaced with other documents such as Aadhaar or voter card.
Speaking on the occasion of the opening of the 4.5 kilometre-long Kartarpur corridor from Dera Baba Nanak Gurudwara, PM Modi had thanked Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for respecting the sentiments of India.
“I would like to thank the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan Niazi for respecting the sentiments of India,” the Prime Minister said. PM Modi further said that he is fortunate to dedicate the Kartarpur corridor to the country.
“Today, on this holy land, I am feeling blessed. It is my good fortune that I am dedicating the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor to the country today,” Modi said. The Prime Minister had also congratulated all the Sikh brothers and sisters in the country and the world on the inauguration of the Kartarpur corridor.