Pakistan, India talks on Kartarpur Corridor show progress

News report

NEW DELHI: Pakistan and India on Tuesday reported progress in the construction of infrastructure facilities for Indian Sikh pilgrims looking to visit a shrine in Pakistan’s Narowal district.

Officials of Pakistan and India held talks on the infrastructure to be put in place for the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor despite New Delhi having called off a round of discussions due on 2 April that would have discussed the numbers of pilgrims to cross into Pakistan each day and the papers required to cross into Pakistan where the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara is situated. Tuesday's meeting took place in Indian Punjab’s Gurdaspur district, the Indian media reported.

“Project implementation is progressing on the ground with speed," an official familiar with the talks was quoted as saying. India’s decision to go ahead with the infrastructure talks showed India’s commitment to opening the corridor, a longstanding demand of the Sikh community in India, two officials in New Delhi said.

The Kartarpur Corridor is expected to open in time to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, in November. Given that India is in the midst of elections, further talks on the conditions of the travel of the pilgrims are expected to be held only after the new government comes into office i.e. late May.