Pakistan Inflexible, Kartarpur Corridor Deal Not Finalised: MEA

File image of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan.

(Photo Courtesy: discoversikhism.com)

The Ministry of External Affairs said that owing to persistence shown by Pakistan, the agreement fell short of finalisation after the third round of talks on the modalities for operationalisation of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor held at Attari on Wednesday, 4 September.

Pakistan has insisted on charging a service fee for allowing pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, which is not agreeable in the spirit of smooth and easy access through the corridor, they said. “Pakistan has shown extreme inflexibility on this issue,” the MEA said.

The Indian delegation led by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs held detailed discussions with the Pakistan delegation led by Director General (South Asia and SAARC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting was held to discuss and finalise the draft agreement for operationalistaion of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims.

The meeting was held to discuss and finalise the draft agreement for operationalistaion of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims.

MEA sources told The Quint that the following understandings have been reached at the meeting:

• Agreement on visa-free travel of Indian pilgrims, without any restrictions based on their faith.
• Persons of Indian origin holding Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card too can visit Holy Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib using the corridor.
• Five thousand pilgrims can visit Holy Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib using the corridor every day. Additional pilgrims, over and above the figure of 5,000, can visit on special occasions, subject to capacity expansion by Pakistan side. Pakistan has conveyed its solemn commitment to increase this number to the maximum possible.

• The corridor will be operational throughout the year, seven days a week. Pilgrims will have a choice to visit as individuals or in groups, and on foot.
• Both sides agreed to build the bridge at Budhi Ravi Channel. Pending the construction of the bridge on the Pakistan side, both sides agreed to the crossing point coordinates of the temporary service road being built.

• Both sides have agreed upon emergency evacuation procedures, especially medical emergencies. A direct line of communication between Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers will be used for the same.
• The decision arrived at the technical level meeting on 30 August regarding sharing of details of pilgrims using the corridor has been endorsed by both the sides.
• Both sides agreed upon ensuring safe and secure environment for the movement of pilgrims. Pakistan has been requested, once again, to allow protocol officers from India to accompany pilgrims every day for facilitating their visit.
• The Pakistan side has agreed to make sufficient provision for preparation and distribution of ‘Langar’ and ‘Prasad’ for the pilgrims.

However, owing to certain differences on a few key issues, the agreement could not be finalised.

Pakistan has also shown its unwillingness to allow the presence of Indian Consular or Protocol officials at the Gurdwara premises. Pakistan side was urged to reconsider its position, MEA sources added.

Significant progress has been made to build state-of-the-art infrastructure, including passenger terminal on the Indian side that can handle over 15,000 pilgrims in a day, and is targeted to be completed by October. The work on the four-lane highway up to the International Boundary on the Indian side is on schedule. It will be completed by end of September.

All the facilities on Indian side would be ready for the pilgrimage through Kartarpur Corridor on the auspicious occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev.

This is the second such meeting after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status leading to fresh tensions between the two neighbours.

In the last joint secretary-level meeting held in July at Wagah in Pakistan, it was agreed that 5,000 pilgrims per day will be allowed to visit Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan. On 30 August, the meeting between technical experts of India and Pakistan had taken place.

The corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district of Punjab and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian 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.

The corridor will be the first visa-free corridor between the two neighbours since Independence.

In a major initiative last November, both India and Pakistan had agreed to set up the Kartarpur corridor to link the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib – the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev – to Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur.

Kartarpur Sahib is located in Pakistan's Narowal district across the Ravi River, about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine.

The four-lane highway connecting the Zero Point of the Kartarpur Corridor to National Highway-354 is being constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

The corridor is scheduled to open in November to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had on 26 November last year laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur corridor in Gurdaspur district.

Two days later, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had laid the foundation stone of the corridor in Narowal, around 125 km from Lahore.