Pakistan Says Work On Kartarpur Corridor Will Continue Despite Decision To Downgrade Ties

Pakistan on Thursday said that it remains committed to complete the much-awaited project of Kartarpur Corridor, despite its decision to downgrade diplomatic ties with India.

Kartarpur Corridor

New Delhi: After a series of measures taken to downgrade diplomatic ties with New Delhi, Pakistan, on Thursday, said that the work in direction of Kartarpur Corridor shall continue notwithstanding the latest developments. Its Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the “initiative will continue”, as Pakistan remains committed to complete the much-awaited project. The corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak Dev. In response to India’s scrapping of Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has taken a series of hasty measures including suspending trade relations with India, decision to send Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria back, closing of airspace bordering Indian and the suspension of Samjhauta express. Addressing the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Muhammad Faisal also said that Pakistan's Kartarpur initiative will continue notwithstanding the latest developments. Faisal said Pakistan respected all religions and would continue the Kartarpur project to help Sikh pilgrims. In November 2018, India and Pakistan agreed to set up a border crossing linking Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur - the final resting place of Guru Nanak - to Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district. The shrine is visible from the Indian side of the border and every day a larger number of Sikh devotees gather to perform Darshan or sacred viewings of the site. According to reports, 90 per cent work on the Kartarpur corridor, including the construction of the main road, bridge and buildings from zero line to Gurdwara Sahib has been completed by Pakistan. In reply to a question, Faisal also rejected the media reports about the release of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed. The "media reports about it were fake," he said. A section of the Indian media reported that Saeed, a UN designated terrorist whom the US has placed a USD 10 million bounty on, has been released from jail.