Kartarpur Corridor talks: India's 'childish' reply dismays Pakistan

FO says Pakistan also takes part in the ongoing US-Taliban meeting for Afghan peace in Qatar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has termed India’s response to its proposal for talks on Kartarpur Corridor as ‘childish'.

The reaction from the Foreign Office on Thursday came after India instead of responding to Pakistan’s initiative for talks made a counter proposal asking Islamabad to send delegation to New Delhi.

Earlier this week, Pakistan shared a draft agreement on the Kartarpur Corridor and also requested India to send its delegation to Islamabad to finalise the deal.

India, however, asked Pakistan to send its delegation to New Delhi and proposed two dates – February 26 and March 7 – for the negotiations.



“India has regrettably behaved in a childish manner, as far as its response is concerned,” FO spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal told reporters at the weekly briefing in Islamabad. “We have seen similar reply from India in the past, in September 2018, in response to the letter from Prime Minster Imran Khan,” he added.

He, however, made it clear that Pakistan’s response to the Indian proposal would be “mature and well considered”.

Dr Faisal said that Islamabad shared a detailed proposal along with the draft agreement, proposed by Pakistan, with New Delhi.

The concerned departments of Pakistan, in the lead of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have done extensive work in the preparation of the draft agreement, in the last month and a half, in line with the directive of the prime minister to facilitate the Sikh community.



After extensive meetings, between various stakeholders in Pakistan, a finalised draft agreement was prepared, which was subsequently shared with India requesting it to send a delegation to Pakistan for negotiations on the draft agreement.

The Indian response appears to suggest that it is not willing to re-engage with Pakistan despite the PTI government’s peace overtures.

Observers believe that no breakthrough is expected at least before the parliamentary elections in India due in May this year.

It remains to be seen now how Pakistan would respond to the counter proposal by India for talks on Kartarpur Corridor.

Trump-Imran meeting

The spokesperson confirmed that the US side expressed desire for a meeting between US President Trump and Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Faisal said the same desire was reiterated recently by Republican Senator Lindsey Gharham during his visit to Islamabad.

However, he said no dates had been finalised for any meeting between the two leaders. “There are no dates, as of now, for this meeting. A lot of preparation and homework is required before such high-level engagements are materialised.”

Pakistan facilitated Qatar talks

Answering questions, the spokesperson confirmed to reporters that Pakistan had facilitated the ongoing talks between the US and Afghan Taliban in Qatar. Dr Faisal added that Pakistan was also present at the meeting in Doha.

The meeting is part of the ongoing efforts by the US to seek a political solution to the Afghan war.

Afghan Taliban spokesperson confirming the meeting in Doha claimed that parleys focused on the timeline of US withdrawal and Afghan soil not to be used against any other country.

The push for peace continued despite deadliest attack by Taliban targeting the intelligence centre of Afghan forces in Wardak.

No change in Israel policy

On reports that Pakistani Jewish Fischel Benkhald was allowed to travel Israel, Dr Faisal insisted that there was no change in Pakistan’s policy on Israel.

Dear @ImranKhanPTI on 2-Jan Ministry of Foreign Affairs called to informing that I can visit Jerusalem Isreal on Pakistani passport
Im applying visa from Isreali embassy.
Thank u Dr Faisal @ForeignOfficePk @DrMFaisal@fawadchaudhry @BBhuttoZardari @OfficialDGISPR @peaceforchange pic.twitter.com/WookDyRlU6

— Fishel BenKhald (@Jew_Pakistani) January 23, 2019

Despite repeated questions, the spokesperson did not offer any comment whether Benkhald was given permission to visit Israel on the Pakistani passport.