Inching closer to opening Kartarpur Corridor by November: FO

Dr Faisal said the meeting between the two sides remained positive.

LAHORE (Dunya News) – The third round of dialogues between Pakistan and India was held at Attari on the proposed Kartarpur Corridor to finalise the remaining modalities for the visit of Sikh pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Baba Guru Nanak.

The Pakistani delegation was led by Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal.

Talking to media after talks, the foreign office spokesperson said despite tension in relations, the meeting between the two sides remained positive.

He said the two sides have almost agreed to the draft agreement on the operationalization of Kartarpur Corridor except two or three points, adding that most of the obstacles have been overcome and the Indian side will have to demonstrate political flexibility to address the remaining issues.

Dr Faisal was confident that we are inching closer to the opening of Kartarpur Corridor by November, adding that Pakistan has invited the Indian side for a final meeting on our side of the border to resolve the remaining sticking points.

“Pakistan has completed ninety percent work on the Kartarpur corridor and it is committed to open the corridor on the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak,” the spokesperson said.

Earlier, talking to media before departing for the talks, Dr Muhammad Faisal said Pakistan has already completed 95 percent of the work on this side of the border – as the proposed corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district.

He expressed hope to expedite the process of completion of the corridor.

Importantly, Pakistan has accepted India’s demand of facilitating visa-free movement of 5,000 Sikh pilgrims per day, and now they will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur.

Furthermore, Pakistan has allowed pilgrims choice to visit the shrine individually or in form of groups.

India has also asked Pakistan to allow Sikh pilgrims prepare and distribute alms (langar or free meal) amongst visitors at the shrine’s almonries.

To this, India has asked Pakistan to increase the number of visiting pilgrims to 10,000 per day into the country and demanded that the visitors of faiths other than Sikhism be also allowed to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

The Pakistani delegation was led by South Asia and SAARC Director General and Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal.

The corridor will also be the first visa-free corridor between the two neighbours since their independence in 1947.

The meeting took place four days after the technical experts from India and Pakistan held talks on the Kartarpur Corridor on Friday, the first such meeting after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status leading to simmering tensions between nuclear-armed rivals in South Asia.

The meeting lasted for about two hours and both sides have called it “good progress” on the technical aspects of the proposed Kartarpur Corridor. The technical level talks pertained to the alignment of the corridor and sharing of coordinates of border crossing points and other infrastructure.

Pakistan is building the corridor from the Indian border to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, while the other part from Dera Baba Nanak up to the border will be constructed by India.

India is constructing a bridge at the zero point and has urged Pakistan to build a similar bridge on its side that will provide safe and secure movement of pilgrims and address concerns regarding flooding. The bridge is over a creek of which the majority part falls in Pakistan.

The project is on schedule for inauguration in time for Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary to be celebrated in November this year.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

Reacting to India’s move on Kashmir, Pakistan has taken a number of actions, including downgrading of diplomatic ties, suspension of trade and rail traffic, and expulsion of the Indian High Commissioner.