Kartarpur Corridor: India, Pak discuss technical details

Islamabad/Gurdaspur: India and Pakistan on Friday discussed in a "cordial atmosphere" the technical modalities like the level of the roads and the bridge of the proposed Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims, the first such meeting after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status leading to fresh tensions between the two neighbours.

The meeting at the Zero point, where the Indian and Pakistani side of the proposed corridor converge, was attended by 10 to 15 officials from each side, an official of the National Highways Authority of India, who attended the meeting, said.

The meeting lasted for close to two hours during which various technical aspects pertaining to the corridor were discussed, chief engineer with NHAI, T S Chahal, said.

Officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, BSF, Land Port Authority of India, which is constructing a state-of-the-art passenger terminal building, also attended the meeting.

The corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak Dev.

This was the first meeting on the Kartarpur Corridor after India on August 5 revoked Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories.

Chahal said the technical issues regarding level of roads and bridge of proposed corridor, were also discussed.

Medical facilities which would be provided to pilgrims during their visit were also discussed.