Prime Minister Imran Khan will do break ground at Kartarpura facilities on November 28 (Wednesday), as Pakistan and India agreed to open Kartarpura Corridor for Sikh pilgrims to participate in the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak.
"Pakistan has already conveyed to India its decision to open Kartarpura Corridor for Baba Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary. PM Imran Khan will do break ground at Kartarpura facilities on 28th November. We welcome the Sikh community to Pakistan for this auspicious occasion," said Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi following Indian government accepted Pakistan's earlier proposal to open the Kartarpura Corridor to facilitate the Sikh pilgrims.
Earlier in the day, Spokesperson Foreign Office Dr Mohammad Faisal told his weekly media briefing that "on Kartarpur, we will share some good news shortly."
He said that Pakistan has issued 3,838 visas to Sikh Yatrees from India, adding: "They [Sikh pilgrims] are here and we welcome them." He also expressed the government of Pakistan's desire to discuss all matters with India.
"No person less than our Prime Minister wrote to the Indian Prime Minister expressing our desire to engage with India in all matters which included people to people contacts, religious tourism and all other matters," he said, adding: "We, on our part, continue to make efforts but in the absence of positive response from the other side, the success of our efforts cannot be assured."
The PTI government spokesperson and minister for information and broadcasting described the Indian government move a step towards right direction. "Indian Cabinet endorsement of Pakistan's proposition on KartarPurBorderOpening is victory of peace lobby in both countries, it's a step towards right direction and we hope such steps will encourage voice of reasons and tranquility on both sides of the border," he stated in a tweet.
The Foreign Office spokesperson, responding to a question, rejected the allegations by some Indian officials, saying that the administrative control of Sikh holy places like Gurdawara is with the Sikh community. "We do not interfere in their internal matters. As far as Indian allegations are concerned, I have already stated that India is a habitual alleger and I will not dignify such preposterous allegations with a response," he added.
Responding to Indian army chief's hawkish statement, the spokesperson stated: "We have seen that such belligerent statements are repeatedly made from across our eastern border. However, we maintain that restrain, wisdom and prior thinking is required which we do not see from the Indian side."
He also made it clear that any restrain on Pakistan's part must not be misconstrued as a sign of weakness. Responding to India's refusal to invite Pakistan to Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), he stressed that non-extension of invitation to a multilateral event to any member is in violation of inter-state conduct and the basic norms of diplomacy. "Such actions serve no constructive purpose, are petty in nature and only vitiate an already tense environment," he added.
In response to queries about US President Donald Trump's recent tirade against Pakistan, the spokesperson said that the leadership of Pakistan has taken a strong exception to these unsubstantiated remarks, adding that the Prime Minister and foreign minister have already given the response to set the record straight.
Furthermore, he said that foreign secretary called in the US charge d'affaires in her office. "It has been a matter of record that Pakistan extended intelligence cooperation to the US which resulted in the killing/capturing of scores of high value al-Qaeda leaders," he told when asked whether Pakistan helped the US trace and kill al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.
About US Special Representative on Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad's recent visits to the region, the spokesperson termed the recent direct contacts between the US and the Taliban as "welcoming development."
"We are aware of direct contacts between the US and the Taliban. It is a welcoming development as we have long been insisting that the solution to the conflict in Afghanistan lies in a politically negotiated peace settlement. We are pleased that others are also arriving at the same conclusion," he added.
During his visit to Pakistan, he said that Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad had held detailed discussions with Pakistani authorities on Afghan peace process.
He said that the dates for Khalilzad's visit to Pakistan are being finalised through diplomatic channels and will be announced when finalised.
To another query about the brutal murder of SP Tahir Dawar in Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan strongly condemns the killing of SP Tahir Dawar, adding that the entire episode of the discovery of Tahir Dawar's dead body in Afghanistan till its handing over to Pakistani authorities is really painful for Pakistan.
He said that Afghanistan has not shared any information with Pakistan so far and expressed the hope that Afghan authorities will carry out the investigations and keep Pakistani authorities abreast of the developments. He said that Pakistani authorities are also investigating the matter.
To another query about the reported issuance of domicile to Ajmal Kasab, a prime accuse in Mumbai attacks, Dr Faisal said: "We have seen reports, which appeared in the Indian press, regarding issuance of a certificate of domicile, dated 21 October 2018, to one, Ajmal Kasab, in Bidhoona Tehsil in Auraiya district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh."
"Happenings such as these lend further credence to the concerns already raised by several quarters in this context," he said, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan had proposed a meeting of both foreign ministers at the sidelines of the UNGA to evolve a way forward to discuss all outstanding issues including terrorism about which Pakistan has its own specific concerns including that emanating from India, as is evident by the confession of Commander Jadhav and other information. However, this was peremptorily cancelled by India on baseless pretexts, he added.
He also rejected the Chief Minister of Indian Punjab Captain Amrindar Singh's accusation about Pakistan's intelligence agency to be behind the Amritsar Attack, adding Pakistan categorically rejects these baseless allegations.
"India is a habitual alleger and it has become its second nature to blame Pakistan for any negative development, without blinking an eye. The purpose of such smear and unfounded allegations by the Indian authorities is to cover up India's own failures, externalise its internal problems and drag Pakistan into its domestic political fray during the election season," he added.
Pakistan is confident that this malicious propaganda would be able to mislead neither the international community nor the discerning people in India itself, he added.
When asked to share some details of Pakistan's mediation offer to resolve the Yemen conflict, he refused to comment on the issue, saying; "Yemen mediation is a very sensitive issue and I cannot comment on the matter at this point in time."
To the reported move by the Trump administration to withhold aid of $2 billion to Pakistan, he said: "To the best of my knowledge, there is no new action by the US."
To another question about relations with Russia, he said that positive development has taken place. "The process continues. Any further development, in this regard, will be shared with the media accordingly," he said, in response to a query whether Russian President or Prime Minister are scheduled to visit Pakistan anytime soon.
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