Officials from Pak, India to discuss modalities of Kartarpur corridor

Officials from Pakistan and India will meet in Wagah onSunday to discuss the draft agreement for finalising the modalities of theKartarpur corridor and related technical issues.

The corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’sKartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district and facilitatevisa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain apermit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Sikh faithfounder Guru Nanak Dev.

   

The Foreign Office has said Pakistan was committed toexpedite progress on the matter to ensure that the corridor is operationalisedin time for the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev inNovember 2019.

Sources in New Delhi said that key issues such asconnectivity at Zero Point and the number of pilgrims to be allowed through theKartarpur corridor will be discussed during the meeting on Sunday.

They said India will also flag its concerns over thesecurity aspect. India had earlier conveyed its strong concerns to Pakistanover the presence of a leading Khalistani separatist in a committee appointedby Islamabad on the project.

Matters related to the modalities of the corridor, who canuse the corridor and its facilities, will be discussed during the meeting.

The first meeting of officials of Pakistan and India tofinalise the modalities of the landmark corridor was held in Attari in theshadow of escalating bilateral tensions in March following the Pulwama terrorattack by a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed on February 14.

Last November, India and Pakistan agreed to set up theborder crossing linking Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, the final restingplace of Sikh faith’s founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine inIndia’s Gurdaspur district.

Kartarpur Sahib is located in Pakistan’s Narowal districtacross the river Ravi, about four km from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief MinisterAmarinder Singh had on November 26 last year laid the foundation stone of theKartarpur Corridor in Gurdaspur district.

Two days later, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan laidthe foundation stone of the corridor in Narowal, 125-km from Lahore.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government hasearmarked Rs 100 crore in the federal budget 2019-20 for the development of thecorridor.

The funds will be used for land acquisition and developmentof infrastructure of Kartarpur under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP)for the next financial year 2019-20.

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