By Muhammad Luqman
Pakistan and India will hold third round of talks in Attari , the border town on Wednesday to discuss and finalize the draft agreement on opening of Kartarpur Corridor to provide easy access to the Sikhs to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, located on Pakistani side of border in Narowal district.
“ I have arrived in Lahore for 3rd round of talks with India,”, Dr. Muhammad Faisal, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman said.
He said that Pakistan was committed to expedited opening of the corridor in November on the 550th birth of Baba Gurunanak, the founder of Sikh religion.
Arrived in Lahore for 3rd round of talks with India, to be held at Atari, to discuss and finalise the draft agreement on opening of #KartarpurCorridor, which will be held tomorrow. #Pakistan remains committed to expedited opening of the corridor #PakistanKartarpurSpirit
— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@DrMFaisal) September 3, 2019
Prime Minister Imran Khan had opened the work on the corridor last year as part of Pakistan’s initiative to allow Sikh pilgrims from across India to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.
The Shrine is located only a few kilometres from the border. The proposed corridor will allow Sikhs to visit the Shrine without a visa.
The recent tensions triggered by the Indian decision to revoke the special status of Kashmir have raised questions about whether the corridor would be opened as planned.
Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and suspended bilateral trade with India, is still looking to stick with the plan. It is however not clear if Indian side would be willing to remain committed to the project, which many thought could help bridge differences between the two countries.
