Kartarpur corridor: India says no response from Pakistan over its concerns

Pakistan is yet to respond to India's concerns over reports that controversial elements have been appointed by Islamabad to a committee which is to be associated with the Kartarpur corridor, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. Sources had last week said India had summoned Pakistan's deputy high commissioner here and conveyed its concerns over the presence of a leading Khalistani separatist in the committee appointed by the neighbouring country on the Kartarpur corridor project.

India had also sought clarifications on several issues related to the Kartarpur corridor from Pakistan. "We had sought clarifications from Pakistan on a number of issues...on the number of pilgrims that can be received daily on visas. These are the clarifications which remain unaddressed by Pakistan.

"We had also shared our concerns on reports that controversial elements have been appointed by Pakistan to a committee, which is to be associated with the Kartarpur corridor. We are yet to receive a response from Pakistan," MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

India had offered to hold the technical discussions to finalise other aspects of the corridor, he added. "As and when Pakistan responds to that offer, the technical-level talks will take place," Kumar said.

Sources had said India would wait for a response from Pakistan on the issue and was not going ahead with a previously agreed meeting on the Kartarpur corridor on April 2 on the Pakistani side at Wagah.

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Last November, India and Pakistan had agreed to set up the border crossing, linking Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev, to the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Gurdaspur district.

Kartarpur Sahib is located in Pakistan's Narowal district across the river Ravi, about four km from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had, on November 26 last year, laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur corridor in Gurdaspur district.

Two days later, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan had laid the foundation stone of the corridor in Narowal, about 125 km from Lahore.

On the issue of efforts to get Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar listed as a global terrorist, Kumar said India had thanked the unprecedented number of countries that had joined the effort. "We are continuing with our diplomatic efforts to ensure that terrorists involved in heinous attacks on our citizens are brought to justice," he said.