Kartarpur Corridor: MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar says Pakistan politicising issue, terms approach 'unfortunate'
Raveesh Kumar, the official spokesperson for the MEA, on Thursday said it was 'unfortunate' that Pakistan was trying to politicise the proposal to open the Kartarpur corridor.
Raveesh Kumar, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, on Thursday said it was "unfortunate" that Pakistan was trying to politicise the proposal to open the Kartarpur corridor.
"With respect to the Kartarpur corridor, we see it as a fulfillment of a long-pending demand of the Sikh community. It is unfortunate that Pakistan tried to politicise an issue which is a matter of faith for people. We hope that Pakistan fulfills all its commitments regarding the corridor," Kumar said.
On the extradition of Christian Michel to India, Kumar said this was an example of co-operation between UAE and India, and that the matter is now being handled by the CBI.
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Last week, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reacted strongly to the statement of her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi that Prime Minister Imran Khan bowled a "googly" to ensure the Indian government's presence at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor.
Let me explain to you that we were not trapped by your 'googlies'. Our two Sikh Ministers went to Kartarpur Sahib to offer prayers in the Holy Gurudwara. /2
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 1, 2018
India was represented at the events by Union ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri.
On Thursday, Qureshi said the opening of the Kartarpur border was a "big achievement" of Imran's government, which completed the first 100 days in office after winning the general elections in Pakistan. "Imran delivered a googly and India sent two ministers to Pakistan," he said.
Qureshi noted that it was the same Indian government had said it will not engage with Pakistan. He said a meeting with Indian counterpart Swaraj was fixed on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last year but, it was cancelled by India.
Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan is located across the river Ravi, about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine. It was established by Guru Nanak in 1522. The corridor will facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur.
With inputs from PTI
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