Unfortunate Pakistan tried to politicise Kartarpur issue: India

Unfortunate Pakistan tried to politicise Kartarpur issue: India

Ministry of External Affairs, Official Spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar. (Photo: IANS/MEA)

New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS) India on Thursday described as unfortunate Pakistan's attempt to politicise the issue of opening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the opening of the corridor was a fulfillment of a long-pending demand of the Sikh community.

"It was unfortunate that Pakistan has attempted to politicize a religious issue related to the sentiments of the Sikh community," he said. "We hope that Pakistan will take all necessary steps to implement their announcements."

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan performed the groundbreaking ceremony on November 28 to develop the Kartarpur corridor to link Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur in India with Kartarpur gurdwara in the presence of Indian Ministers.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi later said that Khan had bowled India a "googly" by taking the initiative of opening the Kartarpur border.

His jibe came after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj ruled out any dialogue with Pakistan, saying talks and terror cannot go together.

Sushma Swaraj said that Qureshi's remarks exposed that Pakistan had no respect for the Sikh sentiments and it was doing it all for politics.

--IANS

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