New Delhi, Mar 13: India and Pakistan will Thursday hold their first meeting to finalise the modalities for setting up of a corridor linking Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistani town of Kartarpur with Gurdaspur district in Punjab, three months after the two countries agreed on the project.
In the meeting, to be held held at the Indian side of the Attari-Wagah border, New Delhi is likely to press for hassle free travel of Indian pilgrims to the Pakistani side besides asking Islamabad to insulate them from any propaganda by Khalistani separatists, official sources said.
Last year, there were reports that pro-Khalistan banners were shown to a group of Indian pilgrims while they were on their way to two Sikh shrines.
The Indian delegation will comprise representatives from Union Home Ministry, External Affairs Ministry, BSF, National Highways Authority of India and Punjab government, they said.
On reports about denial of visa to Pakistani journalists wanting to visit India to cover Thursday’s meeting, sources said it was not a public event which required publicity.
Asked about a reciprocal visit by Indian officials to Pakistan on the Kartarpur project, sources said it will depend on the outcome of Thursday’s meeting.
The meeting comes amid heightened tensions between the two neighbours following India’s air strike on a terrorist training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Pakistan’s subsequent retaliation.
Sources indicated that India may request Pakistan to allow visit of the Indian pilgrims to the gurdwara without any passport and visa.
