Centre okayed Pb ministers' Pak visit last week, state govt hopes it's still on

Days before Islamabad downgraded its ties with India for revoking Jammu and Kashmir's special status, a Punjab delegation got the all-clear from the Centre to visit Pakistan in connection with the Kartapur corridor project.

The Centre gave its permission last week for a visit planned between August 22 and 27 to assess the work on the corridor aimed at giving access to Indian pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur across the border, Punjab Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said on Thursday.

According to him, the delegation of Punjab ministers and MLAs plans to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and the chief minister of the Punjab province of the neighbouring country.

After the revocation of J&K's special status under Article 370, Pakistan downgraded its relations with India, triggering tension between the two countries.

Asked if the visa will be granted given the tense situation between the two neighbours, Randhawa said it would be up to the Pakistan government.

The minister also hoped Pakistan's decision to downgrade diplomatic ties with India would not affect the construction of the Kartarpur corridor.

It is a religious matter, not a political issue, said Randhawa.

The common man does not want any obstruction in the construction of the corridor. It is a passage of peace, the minister said.

The Punjab government delegation supposed to visit Pakistan comprises three ministers -- Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, O P Soni and Charanjit Singh Channi.

The decision on MLAs, who will be part of this delegation, is yet to be taken, said Randhawa.

The jails minister said he had got it checked from the Dera Baba Nanak Sahib authorities that the work on the construction of corridor was going on smoothly.

He also expressed hope that the work on other side of the border was continuing smoothly.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh too had on Wednesday hoped the downgrading of diplomatic ties by Pakistan would not adversely impact the Kartarpur corridor project.

India and Pakistan had last November agreed to build the Kartarpur corridor to enable devotees access and pay obeisance at the historic Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan's Kartarpur,the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev.

The corridor will link the Dera Baba Nanak shrine at Gurdaspur in India's Punjab with the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib atKartarpur in Pakistan.

Kartarpur is located in Pakistan's Narowal district across the Ravi river, about four km from Dera Baba Nanak.

The four-lane highway connecting the 'zero point' of the Kartarpur corridor up to National Highway-354 is being constructed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had, on November 26 last year, laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur corridor in Gurdaspur district. Two days later, the Pakistani prime minister laid the foundation stone of the corridor in Narowal.