A high level Pakistani delegation will be arriving in India to negotiate to negotiate a mechanism to govern operations of the Kartarpur Corridor on Thursday.
According to Dawn report the meeting with the Indian counterparts will deliberate on providing visa-free access to Indian Sikh pilgrims to the Gurdwara in Kartarpur Sahib.
Kartarpur is a small town in Narowal, 4 kilometres from the Pakistan-India border, where Sikhism founder Baba Guru Nanak spent the last 18 years of his life.
According to Radio Pakistan, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal, while talking to media persons before leaving for India, expressed his confidence that the dialogue on corridor could be a step forward in the right direction in the current vitiated situation from conflict to cooperation, animosity to peace and enmity to friendship.
The Pakistani delegation is being led by Dr Faisal.
A session of technical experts of Pakistan and India will also be held at Attari simultaneously.
Experts will discuss the issues relating to the corridor, its construction, road, and other technicalities. The draft for the corridor is expected to be finalised during a visit of the Indian delegation to Pakistan on March 28.
“Opening the corridor to allow Sikhs access to their most reverential place of worship has been a longstanding request of the Sikhs. This is also reflective of the importance and primacy that Pakistan gives to all its minorities,” he added.
On January 21, Islamabad shared its draft agreement with India and proposed that Pakistan delegation may visit India on March 14 followed by return visit of the Indian delegation to Pakistan. On 6 March 2019, India proposed that Pakistan delegation may visit Attari on March 14.
(The report appeared in Dawn newspaper)
