ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Calling it a victory of ‘peace lobby’ in both the countries, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday said that India has green-lighted the opening of Kartarpur border to facilitate Sikh pilgrims travelling to Pakistan.

According to Indian government, the Kartarpur Border corridor will begin from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of Punjab and will end at the international border. The Kartarpur gurdwara is located in Narowal district near the Indian border where Sikh pilgrims often pay visit as it’s one of their holiest shrines.

Indian Cabinet endorsement of Pakistan’s proposition on #KartarPurBorderOpening is victory of peace lobby in both countries, its a step towards right direction and we hope such steps ll encourage voice of reasons and tranquility on both sides of the border. — Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) November 22, 2018

Mr. Chaudhry in his tweet said: “Indian Cabinet endorsement of Pakistan’s proposition on #KartarPurBorderOpening is victory of peace lobby in both countries, it’s a step towards right direction and we hope such steps ll encourage voice of reasons and tranquility on both sides of the border.”

According to the Press Trust of India, the decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

Indian Minister for Finance, Arun Jaitley, also confirmed his government’s endorsement for the border opening, saying: Govt of India will develop a Kartarpur Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur, Punjab to the international border…”

Govt of India will develop a Kartarpur Corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur, Punjab to the international border to facilitate pilgrims from India to visit the holy Gurudwara Darbaar Sahib Kartarpur on the banks of Rabi river in Pakistan where Guru Nanak Devji spend 18 years — Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) November 22, 2018

The Indian government says it will ask Pakistan government to build a similar corridor stretch on its land up to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.

On October 4, the Foreign Office had said the opening of the Kartarpur border crossing was conditional on India responding to Pakistan.

The formal proposal for opening of the border surfaced after Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa had hinted at opening the Kartarpur border on the occasion of Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary next year for Sikh pilgrims when he met cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu during his visit to Islamabad in the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan in August.

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