Pak’s Punjab Govt says flood water removed from Kartarpur

Lahore, Aug 29 (PTI) Pakistan’s Punjab government on Friday announced removal of floodwater from the Kartarpur Corridor including Gurdwara Darbar Sahib saying it will be reopened for Sikh pilgrims early next week.

The floodwater had inundated the Kartarpur Corridor a couple of days ago leaving some 150 local Sikh yatrees and officials trapped who were later rescued through helicopter and boats.

Pakistan’s Punjab is battling with the impact of devastating floods that left over 1.5million people homeless.

“On the direction of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the historic Kartarpur Sahib is restored on Friday. It will be reopened for Sikh yatris (pilgrims) within three to four days,” Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a statement on Friday.

Following unprecedented floods that brought 10 to 12 feet of water into the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara complex, rescue teams evacuated Sikh pilgrims using motorboats and shifted them to safety, she said.

“Teams from multiple government departments worked around the clock to drain water, clean the premises, and restore the Gurdwara’s sanctity. The Darshan Deori and all sections of the shrine have been thoroughly cleaned, while the expansive courtyard has been cleared and washed,” Marriyum Aurangzeb said.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz reaffirmed her government’s commitment to safeguarding religious heritage and ensuring the facilitation of Sikh pilgrims from across the world.

Earlier, Army Chief Asim Munir visited the Kartarpur Corridor and met with some local Sikhs.

He assured the community that all religious sites, including Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, affected during floods will be completely revived to their original condition at priority.

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.

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. PTI MZ RD RD RD