Punjab: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Monday laid the foundation stone for the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, which will facilitate easy passage to Sikh pilgrims to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.

The decision to build the passage — from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district to the International Border — was taken by the Union Cabinet on November 22.

Kartarpur is located in Shakargarh in Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab. Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, had spent more than 18 years of his life there.

The Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara is located on the banks of the Ravi river, about three-four km from the border in Pakistan.

Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said the corridor construction work will be completed within four months.

Union ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Hardeep Singh Puri and Vijay Sampla were also present at the event.

The Punjab government had launched year-long celebrations to commemorate the 550th ‘Parkash Purb’ (birth anniversary) of Guru Nanak Dev on November 23.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor on the Pakistani side on November 28.