Pakistan, India to discuss draft agreement for modalities on 14th

Recorder report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday conveyed to India that the second meeting to discuss the draft agreement for finalising the modalities of Kartarpur Corridor and related technical issues will be held at Wagah on the 14th of this month.

The Indian side has been requested to convey the composition of its delegation, according to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

 “Pakistan remains committed to expedite progress on the matter to ensure that the Corridor is operationalised in time for the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak in November 2019,” the MOFA statement said.

On March 14 this year, the first meeting between India and Pakistan on Kartarpur Corridor was held at Attari, India, to discuss the modalities and draft agreement for facilitation of pilgrims to visit Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib using the Kartarpur Corridor.

Both sides said they held “detailed and constructive discussions” on various aspects and provisions of the proposed agreement and agreed to work towards expeditiously operationalising the Kartapur Sahib Corridor.

Expert level discussions were also held between the technical experts on the alignment and other details of the proposed corridor during March 14 meeting.

It was agreed to hold the next meeting at Wagah on April 2. However, India postponed this meeting saying it had “sought clarifications from Pakistan on key proposals put forward by India at the last meeting held in Attari to discuss the modalities of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.”

Pakistan regretted this decision. “We regret the Indian decision to postpone the meeting on Kartarpur Sahib Corridor to be held on 2nd of April 2019 as agreed by both sides in the meeting and subsequent joint statement of 14 March 2019. The scheduled meeting was being held to discuss areas of divergence with a view to align positions and reach consensus for expedited operationalisation of the corridor for the upcoming anniversary of Guru Nanak in November this year,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement issued then. 

After Pakistan expressed its agreement over the proposed meeting of technical experts from both the sides on Kartarpur Corridor, the relevant meeting of technical experts was scheduled on April 16. On the said date, the technical experts of Pakistan and India on Kartarpur Corridor met at Zero Point on international border to discuss various technical aspects of the corridor including the customs and immigration formalities.

In a landmark move, Prime Minister Imran Khan had performed ground-breaking of Kartarpur Corridor in November last year. He laid the foundation stone for the corridor connecting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur area of Narowal district with Dera Baba Nanak in India’s Gurdaspur District. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi accompanied the Premier on the occasion.