No official communication on Kartarpur corridor from Pak: Sushma Swaraj

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had written to Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal over Kartarpur Sahib corridor issue, the government has been taking up the matter with Pakistan but no revert has come, news agency ANI reported. 

"Pakistan's government has so far neither agreed to include visits to Kartarpur Sahib by Indian pilgrims nor sent any official communication for establishing the corridor," ANI reported. 

Days after Pakistani information and broadcasting minister Fawad Chowdhary said that the Kartarpur Border will be opened for pilgrims, India denied receiving any request on the corridor from Islamabad.

Answering WION's questions on the corridor on the sidelines of an event in FICCI in Delhi, Union Cabinet minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said last week, "nothing has been received by the government of India from Islamabad indicating they are willing to do this." 

Minister of State, External Affairs and Former Chief of Army Staff General VK Singh also maintained the same saying India has “not received any proposal” from Pakistan to open the route. 

“Nothing has come from the government's (Pakistan) side. This issue has been going on for a very long time. If anything comes about we will let you know," he said. 

The Kartarpur route, along India-Pakistan border, is nearly three kilometres away from Gurdaspur, Punjab. If opened, it will allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan. The idea though an old one, got a fresh lease of life when Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu met Pakistan army chief during oath-taking ceremony of new Pakistan PM Imran Khan.