Amid bitter relations between India and Pakistan, officials from both the countries met on the Indian side of Attari-Wagah border on Thursday to discuss modalities for setting up the Kartarpur corridor. After the meeting, India and Pakistan released a joint statement saying the talks were constructive. The next meeting is scheduled for April 2. Three months ago, the countries agreed to work on the project.

Importance Kartarpur Gurudwara holds significance for Sikhs

The Gurudwara is located in Pakistan's Narowal district, about four kilometers away from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine. Once the corridor is built, Indian Sikhs can easily visit the shrine, where Guru Nanak Dev spent his last days. The construction is likely to be completed by November 2019, before his 550th birth anniversary. Notably, the Gurudwara is visible from the Indian side.

Information Both sides laid foundation stones in November

On November 26, 2018, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh laid the foundation for the corridor in Gurdaspur district. Two days later, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan repeated the same in Pakistan's Kartarpur.

Meeting Both countries had constructive discussions: Statement

The Indian delegation was led by SCL Das, the joint secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Mohammad Faisal of Pakistan's foreign ministry led their delegation. "Both sides held detailed and constructive discussions on various aspects and provisions of the proposed agreement and agreed to work towards expeditiously operationalizing the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor," the joint statement read.

What's next Technical experts will meet on March 19

The statement revealed that before the April 2 meeting, technical experts will have discussions. The experts will meet at ground zero to finalize alignment on March 19. "Both sides also held expert-level discussions between the technical experts on the alignment and other details of the proposed corridor," read the statement. The meeting was held in a "cordial environment," the statement underlined.

Tensions After Pulwama attack, ties between India and Pakistan worsened

India and Pakistan witnessed the worst escalation in years after the February 14 Pulwama attack, which was executed by Jaish-e-Mohammed. Responding to the attack, IAF launched pre-emptive operation on JeM's camp in Balakot, Pakistan on February 26. A day later, 24 PAF jets attempted to enter Indian airspace but their attempt was thwarted by IAF. Pakistan lost one F-16 jet in the air combat.

Rebuking Pakistan Khan's "statesmanship" facade didn't impress India