Talks between India and Pakistan to discuss and finalise the modalities for the Kartarpur Corridor will facilitate Indian pilgrims to visit the holy shrine of Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur.
The announcement was made on social media by Pak Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal on Tuesday.
In a statement issued in Chandigarh, he urged the Centre to take up the issue with the neighbouring nation when the latter sends its draft agreement for regulating entry into its territory through the Kartarpur corridor.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had laid the foundation stone for the corridor on November 26.
The cricketer-turned-politician has now been advised complete rest for three to five days.
Addressing a poll rally in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan ahead of the December 7 assembly elections he said that the Kartarpur Corridor is in Pakistan today because of the lack of vision and sensitivity of Congress leaders.
Earlier on Friday, Qureshi had claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan has "bowled a googly at India by opening the Kartarpur corridor."
Adding further, he said the initiative would not only help boost economic activities on both sides of the border, but also help rekindle the flame of friendship between India and Pakistan.
However, the cricketer-turned-politician backtracked on his claim that Congress president Rahul Gandhi had sent him to Pakistan for the Kartarpur corridor event.
Khalistani separatist leader Gopal Chawla was also seen shaking hands with Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa during Kartarpur event.
India has been asking for a corridor, which will facilitate visa-free travel of Indian Sikh pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, for many years and she said she was happy that Pakistan had for the first time responded positively.
The Kartarpur Corridor, which will facilitate the visa-free travel of Indian Sikh pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, is expected to be completed within six months.
Pakistan had also extended an invitation to Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, but they declined.
Mehbooba further said in the statement, the decision taken by Pakistan is appreciable and the same was reciprocated with grace and statesmanship by the leadership of our country.
"Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu, will lay the foundation stone for the construction of Dera Baba Nanak-Kartarpur Sahib road corridor (up to international border) at a function in village Mann in Gurdaspur district of Punjab on Monday, the 26th of November, 2018," a Road Transport Ministry statement said.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in a tweet, said he has extended an invitation to Swaraj, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and state minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to attend the ceremony at Kartarpur on November 28.
Sidhu, who claimed to have paved way for Kartarpur Corridor clearance during his visit to attend Pak PM Imran Khan's oath taking ceremony, said, "Good deeds speak for themselves, the hand only interprets their eloquence."
In a series of tweets, Sushma Swaraj said that she was unable to travel to Kartarpur Sahib on Nov 28 and two ministers of Union Council of Ministers - Harsimrat Kaur Badal and H.S.Puri- will represent India at the event.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the groundbreaking ceremony of the project on November 28.
In its statement, the Pak Foreign Office said; "Pakistan’s Kartarpur Spirit can be a step forward in the right direction from conflict to cooperation, animosity to peace and enmity to friendship."
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