Positive development in talks between Pakistan, India over Kartarpur Corridor
July 14, 2019
LAHORE: Foreign Office Spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal on Sunday said there was a positive development in talks between Pakistan and India over the Kartarpur Corridor project.
Briefing the media at Wagha border, Dr Faisal said, “A consensus has been reached on eighty per cent of the issues regarding Kartarpur Corridor, whereas rest of the issues will be resolved during future talks.”
He added specific details will be shared with the public after the agreement. “The purpose of opening the corridor is to establish peace,” Dr Faisal said
Earlier in the day, Dr Faisal had said that seventy per cent of the construction work on Kartarpur Corridor on Pakistan's side has been completed.
"Pakistan is fully committed to operationalising the Kartarpur corridor on directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan on the 550th Birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak," Dr Faisal said.
The two sides were initially scheduled to meet on April 2, however, the meeting was postponed.
During the first meeting between Pakistan and India on March 14, New Delhi had decided not to grant visas to Pakistani journalists to cover the event.
On March 19, Pakistan and India held a technical meeting at the designated zero point to discuss the plan for the Kartarpur corridor project.
During the meeting, the technical experts indicated areas related to the corridor. Both sides set up border fencing around the Kartarpur corridor.
The Kartarpur Corridor connects Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Narowal district with Dera Baba Nanak in India's Gurdaspur.
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Narowal district of Pakistan's Punjab province holds religious significance for the Sikh community. It is where Baba Guru Nanak settled down after his travels as a missionary. He lived there for 18 years until his death in 1539.
Pakistan will build the corridor from the Indian border to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur while the other part from Dera Baba Nanak in Indian Punjab's Gurdaspur district up to the border will be constructed by India.
In November last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan had laid the foundation stone for the corridor. Former Indian cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, Indian Minister for Food Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Indian Minister for Housing Hardeep S Puri had attended the groundbreaking ceremony.
