India dragging feet on Kartarpur corridor opening

The team likely to visit New Delhi in late Feb or early March

ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE: India refuses to relent in its obduracy despite repeated peace overtures from the PTI government in Pakistan.

A day after Islamabad formally invited New Delhi to send a delegation to formalise an agreement to open the Kartarpur corridor, the Modi government sent its own invite, asking Pakistan to send its delegation to India instead.

Sources in the Indian High Commission told The Express Tribune that Delhi has suggested two dates – February 26 and March 7 – to the Pakistani side to visit India.

However, the diplomatic sources say Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently touring Qatar, would decide whether or not to send a Pakistani delegation to India.

The Kartarpur Corridor is a proposed border route between India and Pakistan, connecting the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib in Gurdaspur district of Indian Punjab and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Narowal district of the Pakistani Punjab province.

Pakistan wants an early opening of the corridor to facilitate Sikh pilgrims from India. But the diplomatic sources say that Delhi is dilly-dallying that shows lack of interest on its part to complete the project at an early date.

On Monday, Islamabad extended an invitation to New Delhi, offering talks for formalisation of the agreement on the Kartarpur Corridor opening in a move indicating the PTI government’s continued desire to reset ties with the hostile neighbour.

The government also shared a draft agreement for operationalisation of the corridor.

Prime Minister Imran broke ground on Kartarpur Corridor during a ceremony in Narowal on Nov 28 last year. Interestingly, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had rushed to initiate the project on the Indian side of the border in an attempt to pre-empt the Pakistani move.

Pakistan had informally offered to open the Kartarpur Corridor during the visit of Indian cricketer-turned-politician Novjot Singh Sidhu who was invited to the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan in August 2018.

Later, Pakistan made a formal announcement to open the route on 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji – much to the joy of the Sikh community, especially from India, which has long demanded the opening of the corridor.

“This is in line with Islamic principles that advocate respect for all religions and Pakistan’s policy of promoting inter-faith harmony and religious tolerance and also in line with the Quaid’s vision of a peaceful neighbourhood,” said a Foreign Office statement issued on Monday.

“Pakistan would continue with its efforts to bring peace and stability in the region,” it added.

The Pakistani move came despite apparent lack of interest from the Indian side towards normalisation of relationship with Pakistan. With India heading for elections in a few months, there is little chance for any major breakthrough in the near future.