JUNE 29, 2019
NEW DELHI – India has proposed to Pakistan to hold the second round of meeting on the modalities to operationalise the Kartarpur corridor between July 11-14, 2019, at Attari-Wagah (Pakistan side).
According to the sources, the meeting would discuss the draft agreement on the modalities for movement of pilgrims along the Kartarpur corridor and resolve outstanding technical issues related to alignment and infrastructure along the corridor.
So far three rounds of technical level discussions have been held, at the experts level, to try and finalise the alignment, crossing point and infrastructure along the corridor.
Following the decision taken by the cabinet on November 22, 2018, India is expeditiously building the requisite infrastructure, including a four-lane highway and a state-of-the-art passenger terminal for the corridor.
More than 45 per cent of work on the Indian side has been completed.
Also watch: Significance of the Kartarpur corridor for Indian Sikh pilgrims
(Provided by Indian Express)
India is aiming to complete the road by the end of September in 2019 and the passenger/pilgrim terminal by end October, 2019, in time to operationalise the Kartarpur corridor on the occasion of the 550th birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in November, 2019.
Government’s effort is to ensure that pilgrims can visit the holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib easily and smoothly in a safe and secure manner, throughout the year.
In addition to the above, India has also asked Pakistan to permit and facilitate Nagar Kirtan to be organiSed by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committe at Gurudwara Nankana Sahib in July,, 2019, and then in October/November, 2019, to mark the year-long celebrations of 550th Anniversary of Guru Nank Dev.
India has also asked Pakistan to increase the number of pilgrims under the 1974 Bilateral Protocol, who visit annually to various religious shrines in Pakistan on the occasion of Guru Nanak Dev Jayanti, to 10,000 this year on the historic and auspicious occasion of 550th anniversary.
Kartarpur is located in Pakistan’s Narowal district across the Ravi river, about four km from Dera Baba Nanak.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had, on November 26 last year, laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur corridor in Gurdaspur district. Two days later, the Pakistani prime minister laid the foundation stone of the corridor in Narowal, around 125 km from Lahore.
Courtesy/Source: Indian Express
