Daily Times

Pakistan and India on Tuesday held a technical meeting to discuss the modalities for the corridor linking Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district.

The technical experts from both the sides participated in the talks held at the Zero Point (Kartarpur) and reportedly discussed installation of a border fence and the road design.

The Pakistani delegation also included officials from the foreign and interior ministries along with senior officers of the Frontier Works Organisation and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

During the talks, India reportedly offered to construct a 100-kilometre-long bridge from Dera Baba Nanak till Pakistan-India international border to facilitate the Sikh pilgrims. According to diplomatic sources, India made the offer because people find it difficult to travel during the monsoon season. Pakistani officials will submit New Delhi’s offer to the relevant authorities for approval.

Matters pertaining to customs and immigration were also discussed in the meeting.

While over half of the construction work has been completed on the Pakistani side of the corridor, India has not yet begun with the construction work.

The Kartarpur Corridor connects Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Narowal district with Dera Baba Nanak in India’s Gurdaspur.

Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab province holds religious significance for the Sikh community. It is where Baba Guru Nanak settled down after his travels as a missionary. He lived there for 18 years until his death in 1539.

Pakistan will build the corridor from the border to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur while the other part from Dera Baba Nanak in Indian Punjab’s Gurdaspur district up to the border will be constructed by India.