Delhi/Islamabad: The second round of talks between India and Pakistan on modalities of Kartarpur corridor will take place on July 14 at Wagah, Pakistan. New Delhi had last week proposed to Islamabad any date between July 11-14 for the talks. It is to be noted that the second round of talks was originally expected to happen on April 2 but India had postponed the talks as Pakistan had appointed Khalistani elements on a committee associated with the Kartarpur corridor.
The focus of the upcoming meet would be to discuss the draft agreement on the Kartarpur corridor which includes movement of pilgrims, alignment and infrastructure along the corridor. The first round of talks took place on March 14 at the Attari-Wagah border.
India during the first round of talks had proposed that the corridor should be open to Indian citizens and Indian diaspora with 5,000 people allowed every day, to which Pakistan said it can allow only 700 people that too only Indian citizens on designated days with a paid permit. The Indian passport will be the proof of identity.
While this is the second round of official meet, three rounds of technical level talks between officials of both the countries have already taken place to discuss issues, such as alignment of the corridor on both sides agreed in November 2018.
India has already completed 45 per cent of the corridor and is building a 4 lane highway and also a passenger bus terminal.
The deadline for construction for the entire project is October 2019, a month ahead of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji in November.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply