India Claims Pakistan Violated Bilateral Pact After Announcing Opening of Kartarpur Corridor

Official sources said Pakistan was “trying to create a mirage of goodwill” and that the agreement provides for information to be shared at least 7 days before the date of travel.

New Delhi: India has dismissed Pakistan’s announcement that Kartarpur corridor will be open in two days as a “mirage of goodwill”, with officials stating that assessment would be based only after consulting health authorities and other stakeholders.

On Saturday, Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mehmood tweeted that India has been told that the Kartarpur corridor would be open from June 29 to mark the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh.

India had suspended travel to the Kartarpur corridor – the visa-free cross border crossing that allows pilgrims to visit Gurudwara Darbar Sahib – on March 15 when COVID-19 infections started to rise in the subcontinent.

Also read: Why Kartarpur Isn’t the Corridor Through Which Peace Will Ride to India and Pakistan

There was no official statement, but following Qureshi’s tweet, Indian official sources said Pakistan’s attempt was just an image-building exercise.

“It is to be noted that Pakistan is trying to create a mirage of goodwill by proposing to resume Kartarpur corridor on 29 June, at the short notice of 2 days, while bilateral Agreement provides for information to be shared by India with Pakistan side at least 7 days before the date of travel,” said sources.

The registration and selection of pilgrims require an online application, which obviously would require advance notice.

The bilateral agreement for facilitating the visit of pilgrims to Gurudwara Darbar Sahib was signed by India and Pakistan on October 24, 2019. A fortnight later, the corridor was opened by two separate inaugural ceremonies on the Indian and Pakistani side, led by their Prime Minister. The operationalisation of the corridor was one of the highlights of the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism’s founder, Guru Nanak Dev.

Sources also pointed out that Pakistan has not built the bridge on its side of the flood plains of Ravi river, despite having committed to it in the bilateral agreement.

“With the advent of monsoon, it would need to be evaluated whether pilgrim movement is possible through the corridor in a safe and secure manner,” they said, indicating the that the opening of the corridor may not take place anything soon

Indian sources had also pointed that travel in the Kartarpur corridor had been temporarily suspended as part of measures to combat the spread of coronavirus. “Further view would be taken in consultation with health authorities and other stakeholders concerned,” they stated.

In the last 24 hours, Pakistan has reported 3,138 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total confirmed number of infections to 1.89 lakh cases. India crossed the 5 lakh mark in coronavirus cases by adding a record 18,552 cases in one day.

Comparing the situation in the two Punjab provinces, the Pakistani one has reported 72,880 cases, which is second only to Sindh. The Indian state of Punjab has so far recorded 4,996 cases of the COVID-19 infection.