Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, is the final resting place of Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak Dev and is located 4km from the Indian border town of Dera Baba Nanak. It took 72 years to bridge that distance with the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor on November 9 to facilitate visa-free entry of Indian pilgrims.
Indian Army issues guidelines for personnel wishing to visit Kartarpur gurdwara in Pakistan
Having a large number of Sikh officers and troops in its ranks, the Indian Army has issued procedures and guidelines for its personnel desirous of visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan.
According to army sources, guidelines have been issued twice in November for the personnel who wish to visit the most revered shrine of Sikhs in Pakistan through the recently opened Kartarpur Corridor.
In the guidelines, the army has also asked its personnel to be careful while visiting there as they are bound to come in contact with foreign nationals.
Army sources said since the personnel of the force would be visiting Pakistan which is considered as the main adversary, the troops would be required to be extra cautious during the pilgrimage.
The Indian Army has a large number of Sikh officers and troops in its ranks. Its three regiments, including the Sikh Regiment, Sikh Light Infantry Regiment and the Punjab Regiment, mainly comprise Sikh troops from Punjab and neighbouring states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
On November 9, Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate the visa-free entry of Indian Sikh pilgrims to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev.
Even though Pakistan has been claiming the Kartarpur Corridor to be the brainchild of Imran Khan, its railways minister Sheikh Rashid recently contradicted his own government, saying that the opening of the corridor was the initiative of army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and asserted that it will hurt India forever.