A meeting was held at Wagah Border, Lahore between the delegations of Pakistan and India for the finalizations of arrangements of the Kartarpur Corridor. Foreign Office spokesperson Dr. Muhammad Faisal represented Pakistan while Indian representation was marked by Indian Foreign Affairs Joint Secretary Anil Malik. To cover the historic event, special visas were also issued by the Pakistani government for Indian journalist.
The meeting discussed the progress of the construction work and the planning of the opening ceremony of the corridor on the occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji. The agenda of the meeting also included key issues related to the guidelines of pilgrims visiting Pakistan. Matters related to entry procedure, currency limitations, transportation, medical facilities, and duration of stay will be penned down. India wishes to get access for over 5,000 Sikh pilgrims on a daily basis and for additional 10,000 on special occasions.
In a press conference, Dr. M. Faisal said, “The two countries have reached consensus on 80 percent issues regarding the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor while the rest of issues shall be addressed in the upcoming talks,”. He added that “Pakistan is fully committed to materializing the Kartarpur Corridor into a reality for the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November this year.”
The second round of the dialogues was scheduled in April, but India backed off over reservations that Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee had included Khalistan activists Gopal Chawla and Bisan Singh. Indian statement said, “The next meeting on the modalities can be scheduled at an appropriate time after receiving Pakistan’s response.”
The corridor is all set to host 60% to 70% more guests from the usual number of pilgrims for the big occasion in November. The initiative will promote peace and harmony among the two rival countries.