Pakistan govt lays artificial turf in Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara to facilitate pilgrims in hot weather

Lahore, July 14

The Pakistan authorities has laid a 16,000 ft synthetic turf within the courtyard of the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara to facilitate bare-footed pilgrims stroll on the marble ground within the scorching warmth, a high official stated on Monday.

Sikh pilgrims from Pakistan have been visiting the gurdwara after it was reopened on June 29 following its closure for 3 months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“AstroTurf was laid on the marble floor of the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib last week,” Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) spokesperson Amir Hashmi instructed PTI.

He stated the gurdwara ground is carpeted with 16,000 ft turf within the courtyard to facilitate pilgrims as they must stroll bare-foot on the marble ground and on this scorching climate, it’s tough to stroll or sit on it.

Indian pilgrims are at the moment not visiting the gurdwara as India quickly suspended the pilgrimage and registration for the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara on March 16 in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

Pilgrims of all faiths from India are allowed to undertake around the 12 months visa-free journey to the historic gurdwara in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

“Still there has been no green signal from India to allow Sikhs to visit the gurdwara,” Hashmi stated, including Pakistani Sikhs, nonetheless, are visiting it since June 29.

Sikhs from Pakistan and India are allowed to go to the Darabar Sahib by following the SOPs for social distancing. ETPB and Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee have made particular preparations for the security of the pilgrims.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi stated that Pakistan had conveyed the Indian facet about its readiness to reopen the hall in reference to the event of the demise anniversary of Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjeet Singh on June 29.

Sources within the authorities of India in New Delhi had stated Pakistan was attempting to create a mirage of goodwill by proposing to reopen the hall on June 29.

The sources additionally puzzled why Pakistan proposed to reopen it in such a brief discover of two days whereas a bilateral settlement on the hall supplied for info to be shared by either side at the very least seven days earlier than the date of journey.

The 4km-long Kartarpur Corridor supplies visa-free entry to Indian Sikh pilgrims to go to the Gurdwara, the ultimate resting place of Sikh religion’s founder Guru Nanak Dev, who had spent the final 18 years of his life in Kartarpur.

In November final 12 months, the 2 nations threw open the hall linking Dera Baba Sahib in Gurdaspur in India and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, in a historic people-to-people initiative.

Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara is situated in Pakistan’s Narowal district throughout the river Ravi, about 4 kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine. PTI