Face of Nation : A delegation of Indian and Pakistani officials on Sunday arrived at the Attari-Wagah border to discuss the Kartarpur corridor and the draft agreement on the modalities for movement of pilgrims, and resolve outstanding technical issues.
“We are hopeful to have productive discussion and settlement of issues. The 70 per cent work on the corridor has been completed,” Mohammad Faisal, the leader of the 13-member Pakistani delegation and spokesperson of the Foreign Office, said ahead of the meeting.
“The first round of talks was successful and we were ready for the second round in April,” he said, adding that the second round of talks is “very important.”
“Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan wants peace in the region. He is committed to open the corridor in time for the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak in November 2019,” he added.
The meeting comes amid differences between the two sides over a range of issues, including a bridge at Zero Line on the Indo-Pak border at Dera Baba Nanak.
So far, three rounds of technical-level discussions have been held to try and finalise the alignment, crossing point and infrastructure along the corridor.
Sources had earlier said that after the decision taken by the Cabinet on November 22, 2018, India is “expeditiously building the requisite infrastructure”, including a four-lane highway and a state-of-art passenger terminal.
