Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday described India’s response to its proposal to finalise an agreement on the opening of the Kartarpur corridor as “childish”, saying that Islamabad’s reply will be “mature”. Foreign Office Spokesperson Muhammad Faisal said that Pakistan shared a detailed proposal along with a draft agreement with the Indian authorities and invited an Indian delegation to Pakistan to discuss and finalise modalities for the agreement.
Instead of responding to Pakistan’s initiative, India asked a Pakistani delegation to visit New Delhi and suggested two possible dates – February 26 and March 7 – for the meeting, Faisal told the media here. “Pakistan, unlike India, would come out with a very mature and well considered response on this highly important matter and respond to the Indian move very soon,” he said.
The much-awaited corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur — the final resting place of Sikh faith’s founder Guru Nanak Dev– with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India’s Gurdaspur district. It will enable Sikh devotees to offer prayers at the historic shrine where Guru Nanak had spent his last 18 years.
Faisal alleged that India committed 2,300 ceasefire violations last year and these violations are still on the surge. Pakistan is responding in a befitting manner to the “unprovoked Indian firing” on the Line of Control, he said, adding that Pakistan would respond to India in the same coin.
“If it (India) speaks the language of peace, we will respond peacefully and if it speaks the language of bullet, we will respond with the bullet,” he said. Faisal also rejected the Indian claim about sinking of their fishing boat in Pakistani waters on 17th of this month.
He, however, alleged that poaching in Pakistani exclusive economic zones is a frequent activity by the Indian fishing boats. He said Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) conducts anti-poaching operations as per the laws and international regulations and the relevant UN convention.