India says Pakistan creating ‘mirage of goodwill’ by reopening Kartarpur Corridor

Officials say Pakistan is yet to build a bridge on their side across the flood plains of Ravi river despite committing to it in bilateral agreement.

Kartarpur Sahib gurudwara in Pakistan | Photo: Praveen Jain | ThePrint

New Delhi: India Saturday said Pakistan is creating a “mirage of goodwill” by reopening the Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims, but it is yet to build the bridge at zero line as was promised initially, which will hamper the travel of pilgrims during monsoon. 

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced Saturday it would be reopening the Kartarpur Corridor on 29 June, which is the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the foremost leader of the Sikh empire.

“As places of worship open up across the world, Pakistan prepares to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for all Sikh pilgrims, conveying to the Indian side our readiness to reopen the corridor on 29 June 2020, the occasion of the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh,” tweeted Qureshi.

As places of worship open up across the world, Pakistan prepares to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for all Sikh pilgrims, conveying to the Indian side our readiness to reopen the corridor on 29 June 2020, the occasion of the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh.

— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) June 27, 2020

However, according to official sources, Pakistan was supposed to notify India at least seven days before the date of travel in accordance with the bilateral agreement on operationalisation of the Kartarpur Corridor. Instead, it chose to announce the step in a “short notice of two days”.

“It is to be noted that Pakistan is trying to create a mirage of goodwill by proposing to resume the Kartarpur Corridor on 29 June, at the short notice of 2 days, while bilateral agreement provides for information to be shared by India with the Pakistan side at least 7 days before the date of travel. This would need India to open up the registration process well in advance,” said an official.

Sources said views over cross-border travel would be taken in consultation with health authorities and other stakeholders concerned.

Cross-border travel has been temporarily suspended as part of measures to prevent and contain the spread of coronavirus. The corridor was closed by India and Pakistan in March.

Pakistan has not built bridge

Sources also said the Imran Khan government has not built the bridge on their side across the flood plains of Ravi river despite having committed to it in the bilateral agreement.  

“With the advent of monsoon, it would need to be evaluated whether pilgrim movement is possible through the corridor in a safe and secure manner,” the official said.

According to the original agreement signed between both the sides, Pakistan had agreed to build the bridge at the zero line of the corridor to provide all-weather connectivity across the Ravi and its floodplains. 

This was decided in July last year after India shared a detailed report on potential flooding of the areas connecting the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district with the international border.

The Kartarpur Corridor, which connects Dera Baba Nanak shrine with the Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Narowal, Pakistan, was inaugurated on 9 November last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan. 

Darbar Sahib is the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak.