India has not received any proposal from Pakistan to open the Kartarpur route between the two countries, Minister of State for External Affair, General (Retd.) VK Singh clarified on Monday.
“Nothing has comes from the government’s (Pakistan) side. This issue has been going on for a very long time. If anything come about we will let you know,” Singh told reporters.
The Minister’s statement came amidst the claims by Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu that Pakistan will open the corridor of Kartarpur Sahib on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, which will be celebrated next year.
“There can be no bigger happiness than this for the people of Punjab,” Sidhu had said on September 7 after coming back from Pakistan, where he had gone to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Kartarpur route, along India-Pakistan border, is barely 3 km away from Gurdaspur, Punjab. If opened, it will allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan where Guru Nanak died in 1539.
