Kartarpur Corridor: United States encourages Pakistan, India talks

WASHINGTON: US State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus has said that the US welcomed the talks between Pakistan and Indian on building the Kartarpur Corridor for facilitating the Sikh pilgrims.

US State Department Spokesperson Ortagus was responding to a question by a journalist during the routine press briefing. The journalist asked about the US comments regarding the Kartarpur Corridor plan between Pakistan and India to which the State Department spokesperson responded that it was certainly a good news report .

The spokesperson said that anything increasing people-to-people contact between Pakistan and India is something the US incredibly supports. She mentioned that Prime Minister Imran Khan has been scheduled to visit the White House and talks in detail would be held with him.

During the routine press briefing, a female Afghan journalist asked a question against Pakistan but left the conference hall upon getting an unpleasant reply from the spokesperson.

She added that the US was the country that took action against the military leadership in Burma and Myanmar's army chief and four other generals had played a role in the massacre of Muslims in Rohingya. The US has banned their entry into the country.

On Sunday India and Pakistan narrowed down their differences on Kartarpur Corridor and said that they have agreed to the majority of modalities to be finalised for the operational of Sikh pilgrimage passage. Both the sides also agreed to hold another meeting to formally conclude the agreement.

Spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Muhammed Faisal said that 80 percent of the agreement has been finalised. The meeting at Wagah in Pakistan also reviewed the progress reached in the three rounds of a technical meeting held in March, April and May 2019. The corridor will allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur where Guru Nanak passed away in 1539.