The UN chief also visited the community kitchen (langar) at the gurdwara, where he was served a traditional meal of rice and lentils.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (Photo: IANS)
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday visited Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur in Pakistan’s Narowal district.
During his two-day official visit to Pakistan, Minister of Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri and other officials accompanied Guterres on the visit.
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Guterres said that the opening of the Kartarpur corridor is a “practical proof of Pakistan’s desire for peace and interfaith harmony”, Radio Pakistan reported.
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The UN chief also visited the community kitchen (langar) at the gurdwara, where he was served a traditional meal of rice and lentils. The kitchen caters to all Sikh pilgrims visiting the religious place, providing them free meals as per the Sikh tradition, Dawn reported.
Last year, the UN chief welcomed the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor between India and Pakistan and said that it paved the way for interfaith harmony and understanding.
A spokesperson for the Secretary-General took to Twitter and said, “We welcome #Pakistan and #India opening #KartarpurCorridor today connecting two key Sikh pilgrimage sites, paving way for interfaith harmony and understanding by facilitating visa-free cross border visits by pilgrims to holy shrines”.
The Kartarpur Corridor links Dera Baba Sahib in Gurdaspur in India and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. It was opened on November 9 in a historic people-to-people initiative between the two countries.
According to the agreement between Pakistan and India, 5,000 pilgrims from India can visit the shrine daily and the number can be increased in future.
The requirement of passport and the USD 20 service fee have been waived and for last year in November by Pakistan.
Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life at Kartarpur Sahib, which has now become the world’s largest Sikh Gurdwara.
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