Pakistan eyeing reopening of Kartarpur Corridor

New Delhi: The Pakistan government is all set to observe the first Sikh religious function under the newly appointed Muslim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Project Management Unit (PMU) which was specially formed to manage the day to day affairs of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib despite the existence of an all-Sikh body Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC).

The Public Relations Officer of Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) that monitor the functioning of PMU, as well as PSGPC Aamir Hashmi, informed media that the ‘Jyoti Jot Diwas’ (death anniversary) of Sikh’s first master Guru Nanak Dev would be observed on September 22 at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib.

PSGPC member from Kartarpur Sahib Inderjit Singh informed that they would take out a ‘nagar kirtan’ (religious procession) from Gurdwara Darbar Sahib to Zero Line at the international border with Pakistan on Tuesday so that the Indian sangat could have darshan of Palki Sahib (palanquin) carrying saroop of Sri Guru Granth Sahib - may be from a distance.

An ‘Akhand path’ to mark the occasion was begun on September 20, the ‘bhog’ of which would be performed on September 22.

One wonders why the Pakistan government appointed a Muslim as CEO of PMU despite objections by the Sikh bodies and Pak’s impatience for the opening of the Indian side of Kartarpur Corridor which was closed on March 16, 2020, aiming to contain and control the spread of the coronavirus. The Indian government had also temporarily suspended the registration for Kartarpur Sahib pilgrimage made through a dedicated website prakashpurb550.mha.gov.in.

Notably, overlooking the Sikh religious sentiments, the Pakistan government had in recent past appointed Mohammad Latif, a Muslim, as the CEO of PMU for a period of three years which evoked sharp criticism by Sikh bodies from across the world who preferred appointing a Sikh to lead the PMU which serves as an overarching body of the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib management.

In July this year, the ETPB had advertised for the appointment of 126 member staff of PMU including CEO in Pakistan’s leading newspapers. While the ETPB had categorically sought only Pakistani Sikhs to apply for the posts of sewadar, pathis, granthi’s, ragi’s etc but it ‘deliberately’ didn’t specify the religion of the applicant for the post of CEO and few others including security officers etc.

PMU came into existence after the approval of the Economic Coordination Committee of Pakistan’s federal cabinet in November 2019 following which the first Muslim CEO of PMU  Tariq Khan was appointed along with a team of all Muslim 9 members.

Besides Sikh bodies, the Indian government had also objected to the appointment of a Muslim to manage the Sikh religious place. The Ministry of External Affairs had then summoned Pakistan High Commission’s Chargé d'Affaires and lodged strong protest against transferring of the management and maintenance of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib. 

If sources are to believed the appointment of Latif was aimed solely to pressurise the leaders of Indian Sikh jatha’s to mount pressure on the Indian government for the opening of Kartarpur Corridor since Pakistan government sees the project as a major ‘investment’  and had also levied a US $20 service on every Indian pilgrim reaching Gurdwara Darbar Sahib via Kartarpur Corridor.

“Indian devotees not only pay the service fee to Pak government but they also spend during their stay. This is the one aspect. Another major aspect is to find ‘soft targets’ which could later be exploited by ISI for anti-India propaganda etc,” said sources.

For now, various wings of the Pakistan government are propagating the Indian government had denied the Indian Sikhs to reach Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib where Baba Nanak had breathed last, via Kartarpur Corridor to create ‘unrest’ among the community.

“A Sikh CEO would have certainly avoided such controversies and had concentrated only on the religious aspect of the function,” said sources.