
Taking a step forward to break the lock jam on stalled India-Pakistan officials levels talks on Kartarpur, New Delhi has proposed Islamabad any date between July 11 to 14 at Attari-Wagah on the Pakistani side for the second round of talks.
The second round of talks was originally expected to happen on April 2 but New Delhi had postponed the talks as Pakistan had appointed Khalistani elements on a committee associated with the Kartarpur corridor.
A known Khalistani and close aide of 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed, Gopal Singh Chawla was appointed to Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak committee which oversees the project on Pakistan side.
The first round of India Pakistan talks was held on March 14 on the Indian side of Attari-Wagah border.
The focus of the upcoming meeting, if Pakistan agrees, would be to discuss the draft agreement on the Kartarpur corridor which includes movement of pilgrims, alignment and infrastructure along the corridor.
India during the first round of talks had proposed that the corridor should be open to Indian citizens and Indian diaspora with 5000 people allowed very day, Pakistan said it can allow only 700 people that too only Indian citizens on designated days with a paid permit.
Other than India Pakistan officials level talks, 3 technical level discussions have taken place between both sides to discuss and finalise alignment and other related issues.
Work in on full swing on the Indian side of the Kartarpur corridor with 45% of work being completed. India is building a 4 lane highway and passenger bus terminal. The deadline for construction for the entire project is October 2019, just a month ahead of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji.
Meanwhile, as part of the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji, India has asked Islamabad to facilitate Nagar Kirtan to which is organized by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee at Gurudwara Nankana Sahib in July 2019 and then in October-November 2019.
India also asked Islamabad to increase the number of pilgrims to visit the religious shrines in Pakistan to 10000 under the 1974 bilateral Protocol.