US welcomes Indo-Pak people-to-people ties through Kartarpur

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WASHINGTON DC: State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus has said that the US welcomed bilateral talks between Pakistan and India on building the Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate Sikh pilgrims.

Ortagus was responding to a question by a journalist during the routine press briefing.

The journalist asked about the US comments regarding the Kartarpur Corridor plan between Pakistan and India, to which the spokesperson responded that it was “certainly a good news report”.

The spokesperson said that anything increasing “people-to-people contact between Pakistan and India is something the US incredibly supports”.

She confirmed that Prime Minister Imran Khan has been scheduled to visit the White House, and detailed talks would be held with him.

On Sunday, India and Pakistan narrowed down their differences on Kartarpur corridor and said that they have agreed to the majority of modalities to be finalised for the operational of Sikh pilgrimage passage. Both the sides also agreed to hold another meeting to formally conclude the agreement.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Mohammed Faisal said that 80 percent of the agreement has been finalised.

The meeting also reviewed the progress reached in the three rounds of a technical meeting held in March, April and May 2019.

The corridor will allow Sikh pilgrims direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur where Guru Nanak passed away in 1539.