The Kartarpur Corridor will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. The corridor connecting the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India’s Punjab with Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur, just about four km from the international border, located at Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province will be open for the public in the wake of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism. His birthplace is Sri Nankana Sahib in Pakistan.

Ahead of the event, PM Modi paid obeisance at a highly revered Sikh shrine Gurdwara Ber Sahib located along the banks of the holy ‘Bein’ at Sultanpur Lodhi which is connected with many events in the life of the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev, whose 550th ‘Prakash Purb’ (birth anniversary) falls on November 12.

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Blessed morning at the Shri Gurudwara Ber Sahib in Sultanpur Lodhi. pic.twitter.com/1lpwHRZbLT

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— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 9, 2019

After the inauguration of much-awaited Kartarpur corridor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public gathering at the Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur before flagging off the journey of the first ‘jattha’ of pilgrims at 12.30 pm. Among the first group of 550 pilgrims who will travel to Kartarpur are former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, actor-politician Sunny Deol, and Union Ministers Hardeep Puri and Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Among the first group of 550 pilgrims who will travel to Kartarpur are former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, actor-politician Sunny Deol, and Union Ministers Hardeep Puri and Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

He will also inaugurate the passenger terminal building, also known as Integrated Check Post, where pilgrims will get clearance to travel through the newly-built 4.5 km-long Corridor. Pakistan will formally inaugurate the Kartarpur Corridor on its side after a function starting at 11 am (11.30 am IST).

The corridor will facilitate visa-free movement but Indian pilgrims are required to carry their passports and will have to just obtain a permit to visit the Darbar Sahib gurdwara in Kartarpur.

After confusion prevailed whether a fee will be levied by Pakistan, the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson tweeted that no fees will be levied on the inaugural day of the Corridor. The tweet says, “PM Imran Khan had also announced waiver of service charges of US $ 20 on 9 and 12 November 2019. Abiding by the PM’s commitment, Pakistan will not receive any service charge from pilgrims on these two dates.”

PM Imran Khan had also announced waiver of service charges of US $ 20 on 9 and 12 November 2019. Abiding by the PM’s commitment, Pakistan will not receive any service charge from pilgrims on these two dates. #pakistankartarpurspirit

— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) November 8, 2019

Earlier, PM Modi was received by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal. The Prime Minister flew into Sultanpur Lodhi in a helicopter from the Amritsar airport.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which has control over Sikh religious affairs, manages gurdwaras (Sikh temples) in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, including the holiest of Sikh shrines Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as Golden Temple in Amritsar, presented a ‘siropa’ (robe of honour) to the PM.