Corridor rekindles hope for Hussainiwala border

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, November 28

The positive development for visa-free corridor for Indian pilgrims, especially those belonging to the Sikh community, from Dera Baba Nanak in India to Pakistan’s Kartarpur Sahib has rekindled hopes for the reopening of the Lahore-Hussainiwala border which has been lying closed since the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.

For the last almost five decades, lakhs of people belonging to both sides of the border have been clamouring for the re-opening of this trade-cum-transit route, which was the lifeline of the people before its closure in the aftermath of the war.

Former MLA Gurnaib Brar said as both India and Pakistan had taken a leap forward for restoring people-to-people relations by giving “nod” to the Kartarpur corridor, both the governments should also initiate the process for opening of this border to further give boost to the relations between the two countries.

Chander Mohan Handa, president, Beopar Mandal, said the government should actively look into more such people-to-people initiatives to build mutual trust and confidence, which might lead to an all-round thaw in the relations between two nations hitherto going through a rough patch for the last few years.

Closed since 1971 war

The Lahore-Hussainiwala border has been lying closed since the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. For the last five decades, people belonging to both sides of the border have been clamouring for the re-opening of this trade and transit route.