Thousands of devotees may be waiting to attend the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak in Pakistan this November at his birthplace, but whether the ambitious Kartarpur corridor can tide over the India-Pakistan disagreements to take them across the border in the next few months remains to be seen.
For now, there is a logjam in talks, the next round of which will take place on July 14. Islamabad has refused to construct an all-weather bridge over river Ravi which is a natural dividing line between the two countries in the region.
New Delhi is insisting that the bridge is the only form of round-the-clock 365 days connectivity to the ensure the safe passage of pilgrims in Pakistani territory to be able to reach birthplace of Guru Nanak. On the Indian side, preparations of construction are already underway.
Pakistan, however, has proposed to construct a causeway which is not being seen as a permanent solution by the Indian side. When S.C.L. Das, the joint secretary in home ministry who is leading the Indian delegation, meets his counterpart on July 14, he will once again try to impress upon the Pakistani side that the bridge across river Ravi is the permanent solution .
India has set October 31 as the deadline for completing all works for the Kartarpur corridor on its side. Throwing the ball in Pakistan’s court, an Indian official said that New Delhi is committed to sending the first batch of pilgrims in November. “The work on the Kartarpur corridor is on track and will meet the deadline. We are committed to it and we have high expectations from the Pakistani side to address our concerns when we meet on July 14,” said the official.
For Pakistan, however, it seems a difficult proposition to agree with India construction of the bridge; it would have to alter an already existing defence bund on their side of the river Ravi.
The forthcoming talks will bring more clarity on how India proposes to tackle the concerns. A middle path for the time being may be to use a route alongside the river after taking into account the weather conditions. “The safety and security of the pilgrims is paramount and no risk will be taken,” said an official, while conceding that the area is prone to flash floods and no chances can be taken.
Meanwhile, government sources on Friday said that construction works at the site for Passenger Terminal Complex at Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab for Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is at full swing. “The works of the construction is carried out by Shapoorji & Pallonji Pvt Ltd. under the supervision of Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI). The work has been planned to be completed by October 31 before the commemoration of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in November 2019,” said the home ministry official.
The terminal is being built on around 15 acres of land with comprehensive facilities to cater to approximately 5,000 passengers per day for smooth of movement of pilgrims to visit Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib (Pakistan) with all public amenities and adequate facilities for immigration and customs clearance.
MHA officials said the complex will have the robust security systems with CCTV surveillance and other advance security systems and adequate parking space for 10 buses, 250 Cars, and 250 two- wheelers. More than Rs 500 crore will be spent for the development of this complex.
As of now, the excavation for the foundation is nearly complete for the whole complex, but the government is confident that all works will be completed in time to meet the deadline.
