A visit to Pakistan to review the Kartarpur Sahib corridor project is likely to be a bridge too far for the Punjab Government delegation with the situation turning fluid following the Kashmir developments.
A delegation of Punjab Government, comprising Cabinet Ministers — Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, OP Soni, and Charanjit Singh Channi, and some MLAs, were scheduled to visit Pakistan between August 22 and 28. But with the neighbouring nation adopting a tough stand over the Indian Government’s decision to scrap Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, clouds of uncertainty is looming large on the planned visit.
Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Thursday urged India and Pakistan to ensure that progress on Kartarpur Corridor is not hampered in wake of the neighbouring country decision to severe trade ties after the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status.
The CM had written to the Centre seeking permission to allow the State Government delegation to review the corridor project work.
“The Centre has given the permission only past week. The Ministers and some MLAs were to visit Pakistan to assess the progress of the Kartarpur corridor project, but the situation has changed now. We are, as of now, uncertain whether to continue with the visit or not,” a senior government official, privy to the development, told The Pioneer.
During its visit, the delegation has planned to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province Usman Ahmad Khan Buzdar.
Notably, the Centre’s permission had come before the abrogation of Article 370 divesting Jammu and Kashmir of the “special status”, prompting Pakistan to downgrade its diplomatic ties with India.
Pakistan Government had, in fact, suspended Indian High Commissioner, partially shutting the air space, banning Indian films on Kashmir issue, and even stopped the Samjhauta Express at Wagah border in Pakistan.At the same time, the Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had made it clear that “Kartarpur initiative would continue”, notwithstanding the latest developments.“We are hopeful that the work on Kartarpur corridor does not stop and that we would be able to visit Pakistan by road,” said Randhawa, the state Jails and Cooperation Minister.
Randhawa, who had reviewed the preparations of the celebrations of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev a day before, is scheduled visit Dera Baba Nanak on Friday to review the progress of work on Kartarpur Corridor on the Indian side along the border.
The two neighbouring nations have been working on the three-km corridor to allow Sikh pilgrims to get direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur where Guru Nanak Dev passed away in 1539.
The route is expected to be completed by September-end. Officers from both the countries had on July 14 held the second round of bilateral talks to narrow down their differences on the corridor.
The corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjba’s Gurdaspur district and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by the founder of Sikhsim Guru Nanak Dev.
In November 2018, India and Pakistan agreed to set up a border crossing linking Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.
The shrine is visible from the Indian side of the border and every day a larger number of Sikh devotees gather to perform ‘darshan’ or sacred viewings of the site.
According to reports, 90 percent work on the Kartarpur corridor, including the construction of the main road, bridge and buildings from zero line to Gurdwara Sahib has been completed by Pakistan.