Officials from India and Pakistan on Friday, 30 August, discussed the technical modalities of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims, the first meeting after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status leading to fresh tensions between the two countries.
The meeting at the Zero point, where the Indian and Pakistani side of the proposed corridor converge, was attended by 15 officials from each side, officials said.
The meeting lasted close to two hours during which various technical aspects pertaining to the corridor were discussed, an official of the National Highways Authority of India, who attended the meeting, said.
This is the first bilateral meeting after the Centre, on 5 August, revoked Article 370 of the Constitution and also bifurcated the state into Union Territories.
The area where the meeting took place was heavily guarded and no media personnel was allowed to go near the venue.
Officials of the Land Port Authority of India, which is constructing a state-of-the-art passenger terminal building, also attended the meeting.
There has been no official word from the Pakistani side on the meeting. The last statement from Pakistan had come on Thursday.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal, addressing the media on Thursday 29 August, said Pakistan is committed to completing and inaugurating the Kartarpur Sahib corridor as announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan in November.
Pakistan and India are still discussing the modalities regarding opening of the corridor at Narowal, some 125 km from Lahore, on the occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November.
Over the past few months many rounds of meetings have been held on the Kartarpur corridor during which the experts from the two sides have discussed its alignment, coordinates and other engineering aspects of the proposed crossing points.
In July, delegations of the two countries had held a meeting on the Pakistani side of the Attari-Wagah border to discuss the modalities of the Kartarpur corridor.
The corridor will also be the first visa-free corridor between the two neighbours since their independence in 1947.
Pakistan is building the corridor from the Indian border to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, while the other part from Dera Baba Nanak up to the border will be constructed by India.
Pakistan’s Ballistic Missile Test
Simultaneous to the discussion on Kartarpur corridor, Pakistani military released a video that confirms a test-firing of a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface ballistic missile.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal also said that closing its airspace to Indian flights was being discussed at the highest levels and can be done at any time, reported The Indian Express.
“It is one of the many options that are being considered, we can exercise it at a time of our choosing. No decision has been taken as yet.”Mohammad Faisal, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson
Responding to this, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that they were aware about a missile being test-fired in Pakistan but there has been no communication regarding closure of the airspace, reported The Indian Express.
“What we understand is that there are certain sectors which are temporarily closed, that too for a certain period.”Raveesh Kumar , Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson
Pakistan has also claimed that it was in touch with India on granting consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Indian national jailed in Pakistan, as reported by The Indian Express.
(With Inputs from The Indian Express and PTI)
.jpg?rect=0%2C0%2C2000%2C1125&auto=format%2Ccompress&fmt=webp&width=720)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)