Pak army chief says flood-hit Sikh religious sites, including Kartarpur, to be restored fully

Islamabad: Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Friday said Sikh religious sites, including Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, hit by the massive floods would be restored to their original shape.

Field Marshal Munir, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), visited flood affected areas of Punjab province, including Sialkot sector, Shakargarh, Narowal and Kartarpur, to review the flood situation and the ongoing rescue and relief efforts, according to a statement by the army.

Pakistan’s largest province, Punjab, has been reeling under severe floods for almost a week. As of Friday, at least 22 people have died over the last 24 hours and at least 1,700 villages across the province, including the Sikh sacred site of Kartarpur, were inundated.

The COAS was given a comprehensive brief on the prevailing situation and the preparations in view of the next spell of rains.

Munir interacted with the affected Sikh community of the area and “assured the community that all religious sites, including Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, affected during floods will be completely revived to their original condition at priority,” the statement said.

The Sikh community, welcomed the COAS at the Sialkot sector and thanked him for the services being extended by the civil administration and the Army during the calamity.

Pakistan opened the Kartarpur Corridor in November 2019.

Around 4.1 kilometres from the Pakistan-India border, the corridor links Pakistan's Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, lived and died at the start of the 16th century, to the Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur district.

The 4 km-long corridor provides visa-free access to Indian pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

Local administration and the army personnel on Wednesday rescued around 150 officials and Sikh pilgrims stranded after floodwaters from the Ravi river submerged the entire complex of the Kartarpur Corridor, including the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

Officials have feared damage to the structure, the Sikh holy book and relics.

The field marshal also undertook an aerial survey of Darbar Sahib Kartarpur.

During the interaction with representatives of civil administration, the COAS appreciated the proactive response which helped minimise the loss of lives and property.

While interacting with troops, he commended their high morale, operational readiness, and commitment for serving the nation.