Pakistan Ready To Negotiate Kartarpur Corridor With India

Kartarpur Corridor Project – Will India and Pakistan work together and bring peace to the subcontinent?  For now, both India and Pakistan are keen to negotiate the Kartarpur Corridor project for which Pakistan has invited Indian delegates to negotiate and finalize the agreement.

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In a press release, the Islamabad stated they have appointed Director-General (South Asia & SAARC) as the focal person from Pakistan’s side and requested that the Government of India should also allocate a focal person at its end.

Pakistan has started to have shared the draft proposal with India for the facilitation of Sikh pilgrims to visit the Gurdwara, Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, through the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

“This was in line with Islamic teachings that teach respect for all religions and Pakistan’s policy of promoting inter-faith harmony and religious tolerance and also in line with Jinnah’s vision of a peaceful neighbourhood. Pakistan would continue with its efforts to bring peace and stability in the region,” the press release said.

According to the proposed agreement, which is widely circulated in the Pakistani media, Islamabad will reserve the rights to refuse entry into its territory, reduce the period of stay or terminate the stay of any pilgrim despite the grant of permit if it considers him/her a threat to the country or finds undesirable for security or other purposes.

Not more than 500 Sikh pilgrims will be allowed per day through the Kartarpur Corridor and a database of the pilgrims with their travel history will be maintained, Pakistan has said in the draft agreement that it plans to send to the Indian Government for signing.

In the agreement, Pakistan government has also said that three-day prior information of the visiting pilgrims and security clearance by the Indian side will be needed before the entry of Sikh pilgrims through the planned Kartarpur Corridor.

The draft also underlines that entry in Pakistan territory will be permitted and a passport is compulsory and the pilgrims will not be exempted from the obligation to respect the laws and regulations of Pakistan after entering its territory.

“All laws must be respected not just concerning entry and exit,” the proposed draft agreement stated.

On November 28 last year, Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur Corridor along the India-Pakistan border. Once opened, it will facilitate Sikh pilgrims visit to the pious Gurdwara Darbar Sahib where Guru Nanak Dev died in 1539.

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