Pakistan, India sign agreement on historic Kartarpur Corridor

Pakistan and India signed the agreement on Kartarpur Corridor on Thursday, paving the way for its inauguration next month ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev.

Dr Mohammad Faisal, director general (South Asia and Saarc) at the Foreign Office, and Indian Ministry of Home Affairs Joint Secretary S. C. L. Das signed the agreement at zero line, Pakistan-India Narowal border.

After the signing ceremony, Foreign Office spokesman Dr Faisal said that as per the initiative of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the agreement has been signed while a formal inauguration of the project will be held on November 9.

"[They] were very very difficult and tough negotiations," he said while talking about the several rounds of dialogues between the two sides over the project.

"Under the agreement, the corridor will remain open seven days a week from dawn to dusk," he said, adding that the pilgrims [through the corridor] would arrive in the day and leave by evening.

The FO spokesperson said that the project will facilitate 5,000 pilgrims a day.

"It is the biggest gurdwara in the world. This is how we treat minorities in the country, this is our approach towards minorities. It is in line with the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)," he said.

He said that the first group of pilgrims will come on November 9. Sharing further details of the agreement, he said the pilgrims who come through the corridor will not require a visa. They will have to carry their passports which will be scanned but not stamped, he said.

Dr Faisal said that under the agreement, the Indian authorities will provide a list of pilgrims 10 days ahead of their visit.

While responding to a question, he said that local pilgrims will also be allowed to visit their sacred place and a pass will be issued to them.

"There is no change in the country's position on India-occupied Kashmir," he said while responding to a question.

The agreement was finalised after three rounds of negotiations. The negotiations were protracted because of deep differences on various provisions of the agreement, the Pulwama stand-off, Indian reservations over the composition of the committee set up to look after the affairs of the corridor, and elections in India.