Kartarpur accord to ink today

Pakistani Sikhs walk before a groundbreaking ceremony for the Kartarpur Corridor to be set up between India and Pakistan in Kartarpur. – [Photo: VCG]

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and India are set to sign the agreement of Kartarpur Corridor on Thursday (tomorrow), diplomatic sources privy to the matter said.
As per details, the focal persons designated by both countries will ink the accord in a ceremony, scheduled to start at 12:00 pm tomorrow at Kartarpur Zero Point.
Dr. Muhammad Faisal, the spokesperson of Foreign Office, will represent Pakistan tomorrow while New Dehli’s joint secretary will attend the ceremony from India’s side.
In the final draft agreement, Islamabad had kept a service fee of $20 for Sikh pilgrims visiting the Corridor from the Indian side, unchanged.
As many as 5,000 Sikh pilgrims can visit Kartarpur daily and Pakistan will consider the possibility of allowing more pilgrims on special occasions.
Last week, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that Pakistan is all set to open its doors for the Sikh community from across the globe.
In a Facebook post, he said construction work on the Kartarpur project has entered the final stage and will be open to the public on November 9.
The prime minister said the world’s largest Gurdwara will be visited by Sikhs from across India and other parts of the world.