NEW DELHI: Taking a step forward to break the logjam on stalled India-Pakistan officials levels talks on Kartarpur Corridor, New Delhi has proposed to hold the second round of deliberations with Islamabad between July 11-14 at the Attari-Wagah Border on the Pakistani side, sources said on Saturday.
The 2nd round of talks was originally expected to take place on 2nd April but New Delhi postponed the talks as Pakistan appointed Khalistani figure to 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 happened on 14th March on the Indian side of the 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 5,000 people allowed every 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 celebrations of Guru Nanak Devji, India has asked Islamabad to facilitate Nagar Kirtan which is organized by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee or SGPC and Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee at Gurudwara Nankana Sahib in July and then in October-November later this year.
India has also called for increasing the number of pilgrims visiting the religious shrines in Pakistan to 10,000 under the 1974 bilateral Protocol.
