File photo

NEW DELHI: India has proposed to Pakistan that the next round of senior-level meeting to finalise the modalities for the Kartarpur Corridor take place July 11 to 14. Significantly, India has agreed to send its officials to Pakistan as, according to the proposal, the meeting will take place, if Pakistan agrees to the dates, on the Pakistan side of the Wagah-Attari border.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had this month in a letter to his counterpart Imran Khan said that India remained committed to early operationalization of the Corridor and that the Indian government wanted it to remain open throughout the year.

"The meeting would discuss the draft agreement on the modalities for movement of pilgrims along the Kartarpur corridor and resolve outstanding technical issues related to alignment and infrastructure along the corridor," said sources here.

This will be the second round of meeting between senior officials to finalise the modalities after the 2 sides agreed last year to open the religious corridor. The first round earlier this year saw the Pakistani side visiting the Indian side of the border.

Apart from that meeting, the 2 countries have also held 3 rounds of technical-level at the level of experts to try and finalise the alignment, crossing point and infrastructure along the corridor.

Following the decision taken by the Cabinet on 22 November 2018, India is expeditiously building the requisite infrastructure, including a 4 lane highway and a state of art passenger terminal for the corridor, sources here said.

More than 45 per cent of work on the Indian side is said to have been completed. "The target is to complete the road by end September 2019 and the passenger/ pilgrim terminal by end October 2019, in time to operationalise the Kartarpur corridor on the occasion of the 550th birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev falling in November 2019," said a source requesting anonymity.

India though believes that Pakistan has not been flexible in dealing with issues like the number of pilgrims who would be allowed to visit the Gurudwara every day. While India has proposed that 5,000 pilgrims visit the shrine daily, and 15,000 on special days, Pakistan doesn't want more than 500-700 per day.

India has asked Pakistan to increase the number of pilgrims, under the 1974 bilateral Protocol, who visit annually to various religious shrines in Pakistan on the occasion of Guru Nanak Dev Jayanti, to 10000 this year on his occasion of 550th anniversary.

"In addition to the above, India has also asked Pakistan to permit and facilitate Nagar Kirtan to be organized by SGPC and Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee at Gurudwara Nankana Sahib in July 2019 and then in October / November 2019 to mark the year-long celebrations of 550th Anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji," said a source.

India has also urged Islamabad to not promote secessionist activities while carrying out work on the corridor meant to facilitate pilgrimage to the Kartarpur Sahib gurudwara in Pakistan.

The government's effort, as an official said, was to ensure that pilgrims can visit the holy Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib easily and smoothly in a safe and secure manner, throughout the year.

