New Delhi: India has said it will complete work on the Kartarpur Corridor in two phases — the first phase scheduled to conclude in September with the final phase set to be finished by October.
“Talks are ongoing and we are hopeful that the work in these two projects will be completed in time, one by September and the other by October,” Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs said Thursday.
“(We) want the project to be expeditiously completed. Work is ongoing on two important aspects, the state-of-the-art passenger terminal and on the four-lane highway that is going to connect zero point of the Kartarpur Corridor to the national highway,” Kumar said adding that talks are on whether a bridge will be a constructed to connect both the points or a paved road.
The spokesperson also denied reports that India is dragging its feet on developing the project, which was inaugurated jointly by both India and Pakistan last year in November.
Once built, the corridor will connect the Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims. The pilgrims will require just a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, an important Sikh shrine established in 1522 by the faith’s founder Guru Nanak Dev.
Also read: Pakistan proposes second meeting for Kartarpur corridor talks at Wagah on 14 July
Talks on 14 July
The next round of talks with Pakistan on the Kartarpur Corridor is set to take place at Wagah in Pakistan on 14 July. The Indian delegation will be led by joint secretary (Foreigners) Ministry of Home Affairs, Anil Malik, while Mohammed Faisal, director general, South Asia, at the Pakistan Foreign Ministry will represent Pakistan.
Pakistan has complained that India has not been moving on the project and was delaying its progress on other issues. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government has earmarked Rs 100 crore in the federal budget 2019-20 for the development of the corridor.
In May, India had raised the issue that Pakistan is promoting the interest of Khalistani activities under the garb of Kartarpur Corridor. According to the Indian government, it has raised all these issues with Islamabad.
In April, India said it will not continue the talks as it has concerns about Pakistan making Khalistani militants as stakeholders in the project.
Besides the dialogue, three rounds of technical-level meetings have already taken place between both the sides since the countries approved the building of the corridor in November 2018.
Also read: Pakistan grants Rs 100 crore in 2019-20 budget for development of Kartarpur corridor
Kitni khushi ki baat hai.