Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said that opening of Kartarpur Corridor was in line with Islamic principles, Pakistan’s policy of promoting inter-faith harmony and Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of a peaceful neighborhood.
Talking to an Indian writer DS Jaspal, who called on him in Islamabad, PM Imran said that the historic initiative to open the corridor on the auspicious occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak was to meet the long-standing request of Nanak Naam Levas and especially the Sikh community across the world, particularly from India.
Speaking on the occassion, DS Jaspal thanked the prime minister for Kartarpur initiative and the warm hospitality extended by Pakistan to all the Sikh pilgrims.
Earlier on November 9, Prime Minister Imran Khan had inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor; a border corridor between Pakistan and India, connecting the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.
The corridor was opened on the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev Ji beginning from Tuesday, to facilitate entry of Sikh pilgrims from India into Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur in Narowal.
Addressing the ceremony, the premier had termed the corridor a gift for the Sikh community around the world -as they can now reach their holy place within no time- while adding that love and tolerance were the two traits that can bring lasting change in the sub-continent and around the world.
Agencies add: Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and President of PMLN, Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s defamation lawsuit against Prime Minister Imran Khan has been moved to November 28 for hearing.
President Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) had filed the lawsuit against the sitting prime minister due to allegations hurled on him which according to Shehbaz Sharif hurt his reputation and public image.
The sessions court postponed the hearing of the case to allow leader of opposition ample time to submit his case in its entirety, which he has failed to do thus far.
Last year, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif went to the court, suing the prime minister for Rs10 billion for accusing him of offering a bribe to stay silent over the Panama Papers allegations against the Sharif family.
During the course of the hearing today, the judge directed lawyers of both parties to come prepared on next hearing to forward their arguments on an application challenging jurisdiction of the court to hear this suit. In his suit, Shehbaz Sharif said, “The defendant (Imran Khan) levelled maliciously false, baseless and unfounded allegations against him.”
