Amarinder Urges Pakistan Not To Back Out Of Commitment On Kartarpur Corridor

The chief minister's statement came in the backdrop of reports that India was forced to send a reminder to Islamabad to hold meetings to finalise the key Kartarpur decisions, the statement further read.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. Photo: Twitter

New Delhi: Expressing concern over the slowdown of Kartarpur Corridor development after Pakistan decided to downgrade diplomatic ties with India in response to  revocation of Article 370 in Kashmir,  Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh urged the neighbouring country not to back out of their commitment on the vital project. The chief minister's statement came in the backdrop of reports that India was forced to send a reminder to Islamabad to hold meetings to finalise the key Kartarpur decisions, the statement further read. With the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev just three months away, any slowdown in the project would lead to its non-completion in time, said Amarinder Singh. He added that such a move would serve a big blow to the aspirations of Sikhs, who were eager for the 'darshan' of the holy place where the their first Guru spent last years of his life. On Wednesday, Singh had expressed concern over Pakistan's decision to downgrade diplomatic ties with India over the scrapping of the special status for Jammu and Kashmir by Indian Parliament. He, however, hoped that it would not impact the construction of the Kartarpur corridor. Amarinder Singh had on Wednesday urged the Centre to take up the matter with Islamabad on a priority and ensure that the construction of the Kartarpur corridor, which would enable pilgrims to pay obeisance at the historic gurdwara in Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, remained on track. Pakistan had committed to open the corridor in November this year on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. On the issue of the severing of trade ties by Pakistan, the Punjab chief minister said the move would inflict heavy economic losses on the poor in Pakistan. The suspension of trade would lead to the loss of jobs and livelihood for thousands of porters, truck/train drivers and the staff deployed as part of the trade infrastructure on both sides of the border, he added. While reiterating that Jammu and Kashmir was an internal matter of India, the chief minister said Pakistan should not link it with diplomatic or trade ties. Amarinder Singh called upon the Indian government to open diplomatic channels to press Pakistan to resume trade ties. Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday said that Pakistan remains committed to complete the much-awaited Kartarpur corridor despite its decision to downgrade the diplomatic ties with New Delhi. (With inputs from PTI)