India, Pak, Begin Talks On Kartarpur Corridor; Modalities Of The Project To Be Discussed

The documents required for movement of pilgrims, the number of people to be allowed would be on the meeting agenda.

Indian delegates reach Wagah on Sunday for Kartarpur talks/ Image: ANI

New Delhi:  Officials from India and Pakistan on Sunday began the second round of talks to discuss draft agreement and operationalisation of the Kartarpur corridor and related technical issues. The Indian team crossed the Wagah border for holding the second round of talks. More than 20 Pakistani officials are taking part in the meeting, which is headed by Dr Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, news agency ANI citing sources. India is expected to raise matters related to the modalities of the corridor, including connectivity at the Zero Point, the number of pilgrims to be allowed, through the corridor and the fees for the visit, who can use the corridor, during the meet. "We are hopeful to have productive discussion and settlement of issues. The 70 per cent work on the corridor has been completed," Mohammad Faisal, leader of Pakistani delegation and spokesperson of the Foreign Office, said ahead of the meeting. Besides this, the documents required for movement of pilgrims, the number of people to be allowed would be on the meeting agenda, sources said. The meeting will take place at the Attari-Wagah border on the Pakistani side. They said India will also flag its concerns over the security aspect. New Delhi had earlier conveyed its strong concerns to Pakistan over the presence of a leading Khalistani separatist in a committee appointed by Islamabad on the project. They would also discuss the issue of connectivity at the Zero Point, they added. India has high expectations from the upcoming meeting and hoped that issues like connectivity at the Zero point and visit of large number of pilgrims on the special occasions will be discussed thoroughly, news agency PTI said citing sources. The project will allow easy access to Sikh pilgrims from India to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan, the final resting place of Guru Nanak. The sources said the work on a four-lane highway on the Indian side is in full swing. The four-lane highway connecting the Zero Point of the Kartarpur Corridor up to National Highway-354 is being constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Pakistan is constructing a two-lane highway. Officials said the work on the four-lane highway should be completed by September. The sources said India is constructing a bridge at the Zero Point and has urged Pakistan to build a similar bridge on its side that will provide safe and secure movement of the pilgrims and address concerns regarding flooding. The bridge is over a creek, of which the majority part falls in Pakistan. Pakistan said it would build a mud-filled embankment, a move which would not only lead to flooding in areas on the Indian side but also pose a threat to the structure of the Indian bridge, the sources added. The creek floods during the monsoon when the Ravi river swells. Another proposal put forth by Pakistan was to build a causeway, the sources said, adding that it was unacceptable to India as it would not provide an all-weather road. They said the construction work at the site of passenger terminal complex at Dera Baba Nanak in India is on full swing. The work has been planned to be completed by October 31 before the commemoration of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November. (with inputs from PTI)