Pakistan proposes India visit to finalize Kartarpur corridor draft agreement

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that it has proposed to Indian authorities about sending a Pakistani delegation on March 13 to finalize the draft agreement for the Kartarpur corridor.

In a Twitter message, Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal said that in a spirit of constructive engagement Pakistan has proposed to India that the Pakistan delegation may visit India on March 13 followed by the return visit of the Indian delegation on 28 March to finalise the draft agreement for the #Kartarpur corridor.

“We look forward to positive reciprocity from India,” the spokesman added.

The statement came following reports that India would will soon send the draft proposal of Kartarpur Corridor to Pakistan.

India took the decision in New Delhi in a high-level meeting on Tuesday at the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs. According to media reports, this major inter-agency coordination meeting was chaired by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and attended by Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh, Indian Border Security Force DG RK Misra, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria and officers of other agencies.

The meeting discussed ways to fast-track the implementation of the Kartarpur Corridor Project and deliberated on land acquisition for the highway and Integrated Check Post (ICP), sources told media. Preliminary notification for land acquisition for the highway has already been issued. The notification to acquire land for the corridor is likely to be issued on Wednesday, sources added.

The Indian Punjab government has assured that the land will be made available for both the projects by mid-March. Meanwhile, possession of the land to begin preliminary work will be made available to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI). A detailed plan outlining the same is expected to be finalised within the next few days.