WAGAH (Pakistan): The second round of talks between Pakistan and India on Kartarpur Corridor got underway here on Sunday with Islamabad maintaining that the Imran Khan-led regime is committed to operationalise the Kartarpur Corridor.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson and DG South Asia Mohammad Faisal said that considerable extent of construction work on Kartarpur Corridor on Pakistan side has been completed.
He said Pakistan is fully committed to operationalise the Kartarpur corridor as desired and directed by Prime Minister Imran Khan on the 550th Birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
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 will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak Dev.
The Foreign Office has said Pakistan was committed to expedite progress on the matter to ensure that the corridor is operationalised in time for the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev later this year in November.
Sources in New Delhi have indicated that key issues such as connectivity at Zero Point and the number of pilgrims and security issues were expected to be raised during the meeting on Sunday.
Kartarpur is located in Pakistan’s Narowal district across the river Ravi and is about four km from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district.
The first round of talks were held at Indian side of the border at Attari on March 14. But April 2 parleys to be held at Wagah border were ‘postponed’ by India when it wanted to register protest against inclusion of a pro-Khalistani leader Gopal Singh Chawla in the official Pakistan panel on the corridor.
Giving in to India’s demand, Pakistan on Friday removed Chawla from the panel.
(AGENCIES)
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