Pakistan lodges protest with India over ‘malicious’ propaganda against Kartarpur corridor

On Nov 7, 2020 Last updated Oct 4, 2021

TOPSHOT - Sikh pilgrims stand in a queue to visit the Shrine of Baba Guru Nanak Dev at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, near the Indian border, on November 9, 2019. - Hundreds of Indian Sikhs prepared to make a historic pilgrimage to Pakistan on November 9 crossing to one of their religion's holiest sites under a landmark deal between the two countries separated by the 1947 partition of the subcontinent. (Photo by Aamir QURESHI / AFP)

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday summoned the Indian Chargé d’Affaires and registered a strong portest against baseless and fallacious propaganda against the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor by the Indian Government, which had been rejected by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) itself.

It was communicated that the malicious propaganda by the Indian Government appeared to be a clear attempt to malign the “Peace Corridor” initiative by casting mischievous aspersions against the interests of the Sikh community and to detract attention from India’s own reprehensible human rights violations of minorities in India.

It was underlined that the PSGPC remained responsible for carrying out rituals in Gurdwara Sahiban, including Kartarpur as per the Sikh Rehat Maryada.

The Project Management Unit (PMU), under the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), had simply been created to facilitate the PSGPC in this regard.

The Indian side was told that any insinuations regarding “transferring” the affairs of the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur from the PSGPC to the PMU were contrary to the facts and ran against the spirit of the landmark initiative.

It was underscored that the Sikh community from all over the world remained greatly appreciative of the efforts made by Pakistan to complete the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor Project in record time and for the excellent arrangements made to facilitate the pilgrims.