India, Pakistan officials to meet on Kartarpur Corridor

New Delhi: Amidst high tension in the border, India and Pakistan officials will meet for the first time after Pulwama terror attack on the Attari-Wagha border of Indian side on March 14. This meeting is being held to facilitate pilgrims to visit holy Gurdwara situated at the Pakistan side of Punjab. This was announced on Wednesday by the External affairs ministry in a statement.

"In keeping with the government's decision to operationalise the Kartarpur Corridor on the occasion of the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and meet the long-pending public demand to have easy and smooth access to the holy Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, the first meeting between India and Pakistan to discuss and finalise the modalities for Kartarpur Corridor would be held at Attari-Wagah (Indian side) on 14 March," the released said. India has also proposed that a technical level discussion on the alignment of the corridor be held on the same day on the sidelines of this meeting.

After this meeting, Indian delegation may also visit Pakistan side to finalise the formalities for the pilgrim. The Kartarpur corridor is a proposed border corridor between India and Pakistan, connecting the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib (located in Indian side of Punjab) and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Lartarpur ) in Pakistan Punjab). The corridor is intended to allow religious devotees from India to visit the Gurdwara in Kartyarpur, 4.7 km from Pakistan-India border without a visa. The Kartarpur Corridor was first proposed in early 1999 by the prime ministers of Pakistan