The apprehensions raised by the Indian security establishment about Kartarpur corridor being used by the terrorist state of Pakistan to push Khalistani terrorism seems to have been proved right as a top minister of Pakistan government has revealed that the opening of the historic Kartarpur corridor was the brainchild of Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to ‘hurt India forever’.
According to the reports, Pakistan’s Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, a known motormouth considered to be a close aide of Prime Minister Khan, said that the Kartarpur Corridor will hurt India. While Pakistani media has reported that this step of ‘peace and love’ by Gen. Bajwa has ‘won over’ the Sikh community in India it may also be an indication that the corridor may be used by Pakistan Army and ISI to create more instability in the country by reviving Khalistani terror around the areas of Indian state of Punjab.
Earlier, Pakistani government had claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan had initiated the construction of Kartarpur Corridor. However, Pakistan Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid has now said that the Kartarpur corridor is the brainchild of Army chief General Bajwa.
Read: Pakistan wants to incite Khalistani terrorism through Kartarpur corridor: says PoK activist
“India will remember forever the kind wound inflicted on it by Gen Bajwa by opening Kartarpur corridor,” he said. “Gen Bajwa strongly hit India by opening the corridor. Through this project, Pakistan has created a new environment of peace and won itself, love of the Sikh community,” he said.
On November 9, Pakistan Prime Minister Khan had inaugurated the Kartarpur corridor to facilitate the visa-free entry of Indian Sikh pilgrims to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev.
Inaugurating the corridor, Imran Khan had told a gathering of over 12,000 devotees which included Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and former Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, “I had no idea of the importance this place holds. I found out a year ago. I am happy we could do this for you”.
Ever since the proposal to develop the Kartarpur corridor came up between India and Pakistan, the Indian security agencies have been raising strong concerns regarding the national security implications of the project. The Indian intelligence agencies are very much apprehensive about Pakistan’s over-eagerness to open Kartarpur corridor as it provides an opportunity for the terror state to “exploit Sikh sentiments to support Khalistan agenda” in India.
The Indian security establishment had raised concerns against the opening of Kartarpur corridor after they had accessed information that terrorists being trained near the border district of Narowal in Pakistan’s Punjab province, the same district where Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara is situated.
The reports of terror camps near the Indian border comes months after a Pakistani spy, part of a larger espionage network, was caught by the military intelligence from Gurdaspur in Punjab. The accused Pakistani spy was sending photographs and information related to the construction of Kartarpur corridor to his handlers in Pakistan through his WhatsApp number raising doubts about Pakistan’s intention to build the corridor.
Earlier, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh had also warned the country about Pakistan’s treacherous plans to use the Kartarpur corridor to inflict terror on India, especially by reviving Khalistani terror. Captain Amarinder Singh had reiterated his position on the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor by Pakistan. He claimed that it is an ISI ploy to strengthen anti-India forces, including the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).
Not only that, ahead of the inauguration of the corridor, in an act of provocation against India, Pakistan had featured Khalistani terrorists and anti-Indian elements including Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in its official song to welcome Sikh pilgrims to Kartarpur Sahib. Kartarpur Sahib is believed to be built where Guru Nanak had died.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had released a video of the official Punjabi song welcoming Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan for the Kartarpur Corridor, which displays posters of Khalistani separatist leaders Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Maj Gen Shabeg Singh and Amrik Singh Khalsa in the background.
