Pakistan Completes Long-Awaited Kartarpur Corridor Bridge

Pakistan has finished constructing a 420-metre-long bridge at the Kartarpur Corridor zero line after a delay of over two years. Completion now awaits the Indian side. This bridge is crucial to prevent flooding disruptions for pilgrims visiting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

Pakistan has successfully completed the 420-metre-long bridge at the Kartarpur Corridor zero line following more than two years of delays, an official reported on Tuesday.

The Kartarpur bridge aims to address the flooding vulnerability of the zero-line area, ensuring a secure passage for visitors to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, said Kartarpur Management Unit Deputy Secretary Saifullah Khokhar.

'We have completed our side of the bridge at the zero-line Kartarpur Corridor. It is now up to India to finish its portion, particularly the disputed 10-feet section,' Khokhar stated, adding that the bridge will become operational once the Indian side is complete.

Flood incidents have previously hindered pilgrims' access to Kartarpur Sahib.

The initial deadline for the bridge was December 2021, but construction was halted due to financial and political challenges. Funded by the Public Development Fund with an estimated cost of PKR 4.53 million, the bridge's construction involved the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) and National Engineering Services of Pakistan (Nespak).

In November 2019, then Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor, facilitating visa-free access for Indian Sikh pilgrims to one of their holiest sites in Pakistan.

The Kartarpur Corridor spans 4 kilometers, connecting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Punjab state. Khan has been detained since August last year on multiple charges by the military-backed Shehbaz Sharif government.