‘India is creating confusion to confuse’: FO
ALI HUSSAIN
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday rejected the Indian Punjab chief minister’s statement spreading negativity about Pakistan’s Kartarpur Corridor initiative and categorically stated that “there is not even a modicum of any negative element in our policy.”
Speaking at his weekly media briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said that as a special gesture on the auspicious occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev, Pakistan has waived; (a) pilgrims from carrying passport for the 550th celebrations; (b) the requirement to convey pilgrim information to the government of Pakistan 10 days prior to the entry through Kartarpur Sahib Corridor; and (c) US $20 service charges per pilgrim, per visit, on 9th and 12th November 2019.
He said that this has been conveyed formally to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad and the government of India. “We hope and expect that the Corridor would be an opportunity, especially for the Sikh community and all the Nanak Naamlevas to come and observe their prayers at Baba Guru Nanak Dev’s shrine here in Pakistan, which has been their longstanding request,” he expressed the hope.
However, later in the day the spokesperson took to the Twitter, saying that Pakistan’s ‘special’ gesture has been refused by India.
“As a special gesture, Pakistan announced concessions on the auspicious occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev to facilitate pilgrims. This has been refused by India in blatant disregard of Sikh sentiments,” he stated in a tweet.
He also stated that India is creating confusion, adding: “If India does not wish to avail these facilitative measures for pilgrims, it is India’s choice. India is creating confusion to confuse.”
Responding to a question regarding spreading of negativity by the Indian Punjab chief minister, he rejected the negative statements coming from India, adding: “As the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I can only stress upon the positivity of this initiative and our government’s policy. I want to state this categorically that there is not even a modicum of any negative element in our policy.”
He said that the expected number of pilgrims who will visit the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is in thousands, because they will come from three different points of entry and the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is only one of the access points.
The pilgrims who will visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib will arrive and depart from the Corridor, on the same day, he said, adding that this is a dedicated Corridor for the Nanak Naamlevas coming from India. The visitors cannot go to any other place except the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, he explained.
He said that both Pakistan and India already have a bilateral agreement regarding pilgrims visiting the holy sites, signed in 1974, wherein, nationals of both the countries can visit the holy places on both sides of the border.
Under the same established Agreement, he said that almost 4,500 pilgrims from India have already been issued visas, which is much beyond the agreed limit. Besides, Pakistani Missions in Australia, Canada, Europe, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Tanzania, the US, the UK and Uganda, etc, have also issued thousands of visas to the pilgrims, he added.
“The number of pilgrims is expected to increase with the passage of time and the capacity of the Gurduwara Sahib will be expanded accordingly. Approximately, 10,000 pilgrims are expected to be present on 9th November 2019, from all these access points, cumulatively, to attend the inauguration ceremony of Kartarpur Sahib Corridor”, he said.
To a question, he said that former Indian cricket star and ex- minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has been issued a visa, adding: “We will warmly welcome him on the opening ceremony”.
Responding to another query about visits of Buddhist monks, he said that tourism is an industry that Pakistan was unable to focus on earlier; however, this government is making a concerted effort to promote this industry in the country.
He said that one of the facets of the tourism industry is religious tourism, adding that Sikhs/Nanak Naamlevas, Hindus and Buddhist monks, etc, have various holy sites in Pakistan and “we are trying to tap this potential of religious tourism.”
He said that many initiatives under religious tourism are currently in the pipeline and a great deal of effort is being put in for their fruition. The promotion of such initiatives will also help in boosting the economy of Pakistan, as in many countries, tourism is their primary driver of economy, he added.
Answering a question, the Foreign Office spokesperson stated: “I have conveyed Pakistan’s formal position very clearly and the DG ISPR’s statement is in line with this policy”.
To another query about the India’s political map of the occupied territories, he said that Pakistan’s position is in line with the UNSC Resolutions which state that the entire state of Jammu & Kashmir, as it stood on 14 August 1947, is a disputed territory. The final resolution of which has to be done as per the UNSC Resolutions through a UN-administered plebiscite to determine the wishes of the Kashmiri people, he said, adding that India cannot change the political map of this disputed territory.
Commenting on the Riyadh Agreement on the Yemen crisis, he said that Pakistan is hopeful that it would promote peace and de-escalate tensions in the region. “The Prime Minister has already welcomed this development. We already see the signs of diffusion of tensions in the region”, he added.
About the mediation efforts between Iran and Saudi Arabia, he said: “We see signs of defusion of tension in the region,” adding that active efforts are under way to de-escalate tensions in the region.
