Talks between Pakistan, India regarding Kartarpur Corridor underway

Kartarpur's construction of road, fencing and maps are being discussed.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Another round of talks regarding Kartarpur Corridor between Pakistan and India is underway at Zero Point today (Tuesday). According to diplomatic sources, officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Religious Affairs and Federal Works Organisation (FWO) from both sides are attending the dialogues. Matters pertaining to construction of road, fencing and maps are being discussed in the meeting. In November 2018, Pakistan offered India the building of the corridor for Sikh pilgrims for visiting the Gurudwara at Kartarpur where the founder of Sikhism – Guru Nanak lived for 18 years. The project, with 50 percent of the work already done, is being anticipated to be completed just before the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in 2019 with a community-wide groundbreaking ceremony for Sikh pilgrims at the Gurdwara in Kartarpur Sahib. Later, the building of a passenger terminal building (PTB complex) at the cost of Rs190 crores was approved, which will be able to handle immigration and customs clearance facilities for5000 pilgrims every day. In the second phase, a hospital and accommodation for temporary staying will also be built. A bridge over Ravi river will also be built for crossing of pilgrims. The corridor can pave a way for "facilitating and fortifying" people-to-people bonds of the two countries. Besides, India has approved Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur as the coordinates of Zero Point (crossing point) for the opening of the Kartarpur corridor along the International Border with Pakistan. It has been decided to establish the Kartarpur corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district in Punjab to the International Border. Earlier in a historical event on November 28, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of Kartarpur Corridor which was also attended by Indian ministers Navjot Singh Sidhu, Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri on the invitation of the Pakistan government. The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other government officials. On March 7, PM Imran Khan had directed the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) to ensure timely completion of the project on Pakistani side of the border. The much-awaited corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur – the final resting place of Sikh faith’s founder Guru Nanak Dev – with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India’s Gurdaspur district and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib.