Hotels, railway station to be constructed for Sikh pilgrims in Kartarpur

The Pakistan government would provide land to Sikh organisations for construction of hotels in Kartarpur, Nankana Sahib and Narowal and a railway station in Kartarpur to provide state-of-the-art board and lodging facilities to Sikh pilgrims visiting Pakistan, a minister announced.

Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed made the remarks on Monday after seeing off Indian Sikh pilgrims who departed for Lahore through special trains after offering their religious rituals at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hassan Abdal.

Ahmed said, Pakistan Railways (PR) had offered 10 acres of land each in Kartarpur and Nankana Sahib and five acres of land in Narowal to Sikhs’ organisations for establishment of five-star hotels to facilitate Sikh pilgrims.

He further said that trains would run from Nankana Sahib to Kartarpur and hostels would be constructed near all Sikh pilgrimage sites.

The Minister said that the Imran Khan government wanted to provide all facilities to Sikh pilgrims and the government was investing millions of rupees for modernisation of Hasan Abdal and Narowal railway stations.

Over 3800 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India were issued to participate in the birthday anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Dev in Pakistan from November 21 to 30, 2018.