Pak proposes July 14 for 2nd meet on Kartarpur corridor

Islamabad, July 2

Pakistan on Tuesday proposed July 14 for the second meeting with India to discuss the draft agreement for finalising the modalities of the Kartarpur corridor and related technical issues.

Its Foreign Office said, “Pakistan, today, conveyed to India that the second meeting will be held on July 14 at Wagah. The Indian side has been requested to convey the composition of its delegation.”

It said Pakistan was committed to expedite progress on the matter to ensure that the corridor was operationalised in time for the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev in November.

The first meeting of officials of Pakistan and India to finalise the modalities of the landmark corridor was held in Attari in the shadow of escalating bilateral tensions in March following the Pulwama terror attack.

The meeting was “constructive” and the discussions were held in a “cordial environment”, the Foreign Office had said.

India had conveyed its concerns over the presence of several Khalistani separatists in a committee appointed by Pakistan on the Kartarpur corridor.

The FO had said that the 10-member purely-religious committee referred to by India was indeed PSGPC and was not specific to Kartarpur, but responsible for upkeep of all gurdwaras in Pakistan.

The corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who would have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Guru Nanak Dev. — PTI

Pak creating hurdles: Sukhbir

Chandigarh: SAD chief Sukhbir Badal on Tuesday accused Pakistan of creating hurdles in the project by restricting number of visitors to 700 in a day and making a causeway on the Ravi instead of a promised bridge. He accused the Pakistan government of double speak. "Pakistan is claiming much work, but the reality is that it is constructing a mere causeway. It has put a cap on number of devotees and proposed entry fee and permit costs,” he said.