NEW DELHI – Indian external affairs ministry has decided not to call offthe planned meeting with Pakistan over the Kartarpur corridor scheduled onMarch 14, Indian media has reported.
EAM is ready for a meeting of officials of the two countries in India onMarch 14 to finalise modalities and decide the coordinates for the crossingpoint of the corridor on the international border .
The two sides are also expected to discuss a draft agreement that willallow Indian pilgrims to travel without visas.
Last year, the two sides announced plans to build the corridor, which willlink Dera Baba Nanak in India with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, andto complete the project in time for the 550th birth anniversary of GuruNanak, the founder of the Sikh religion, in November.
Recent India-Pakistan tensions fuelled speculation that the March 14meeting could be called off, but the people cited above said that India isready for holding talks as scheduled. India accepted a proposal made byPakistan for the meeting, and New Delhi is fully prepared for holding talkson the Kartarpur corridor next week, the people said.
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They added that India is going ahead with the meeting as the corridor dealswith the sentiments of a very significant part of the country’s population,and any Pakistani delegation coming for talks will be welcomed.
A statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Tuesday said adelegation will visit New Delhi on March 14 and this will be followed bythe return visit of an Indian delegation to Islamabad on March 28 todiscuss the draft agreement.
