Last week, India decided to postpone the meeting scheduled for April 2 to discuss the Kartarpur Corridor
OKARA: Last week, India decided to postpone the meeting scheduled for April 2 to discuss the Kartarpur Corridor. This came as a huge setback to the regional peace, as the meetings were supposed to signify the normalisation of relations between the two countries. After the February 27 incident where Indian fighter jets were shot down by Pakistan Air Force for crossing our airspace, and the near-miss of all-out war, the Kartarpur talks were a way of setting aside our differences and working towards a mutual goal. India and Pakistan share a strong cultural history, dating back thousands of years. Undoubtedly, the Sikh community has a strong attachment to the Kartarpur project for religious considerations. However, India’s rigid stance throughout the negotiations for the project has continued to delay work related to it, despite Pakistan’s efforts to make the corridor operational for the 550th anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, in November 2019. If this continues, the Pakistan-India relations may take a turn for the worse, something that neither country can afford. Both the countries are nuclear powers and cannot afford any more escalation that may result in war.
Moreover, citizens of both the countries are facing issues related to the economy, health and education. In order for the governments to cope on these issues and prosper as individual countries, they must realise the importance of regional peace and actively work towards establishing it.
Mohammad Ahatsham-ul Haq
Published in The Express Tribune, April 2nd, 2019.
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