ISLAMABAD: Rejecting Indian media’s negativity about the Kartarpur corridor, the Foreign Office on Saturday called for preserving the ‘Kartarpur spirit’ and hoped to engage with New Delhi for finalising details about connecting the Indian and Pakistani parts of the corridor and other related modalities.

“Pakistan would now proceed with the development of the physical infrastructure for the corridor on its side of the international border. We also look forward to working out necessary details and modalities with the Indian side concerning the passage through the corridor,” a statement issued by the Foreign Office said.

Pakistan and India earlier this week broke ground for the visa-free corridor connecting international border with the shrine of Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, the shrine of the founder of Sikhism.

Pakistan in response to Bipin’s statement asks if Modi’s control over Indian military has weakened

The corridor is being seen in Pakistan as a sign of hope for normalisation of frayed bilateral ties and it is, therefore, being dubbed as the ‘Corridor of Peace’.

The Foreign Office, while re-emphasising its optimism about the passage, said: “The inauguration of the corridor project on both sides has created another moment of hope for the peoples of India and Pakistan.”

However, Indian media has been deeply critical about the project and has cast aspersions on Pakistan’s move.

Indian media, which had been searching for reasons to spread scepticism about the project, used Gen Bajwa’s handshake with Sikh leader Gopal Singh Chawla to further their propaganda against Pakistan.

The FO hoped that the Indian propaganda would not succeed.

“We are convinced that those seeking to sow negativity around this initiative for partisan purposes or due to their known anti-Pakistan proclivities will not succeed in their designs. The government of Pakistan will continue to do what is right for advancing this noble initiative,” it said.

Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor had earlier said: “Indian media taking a myopic view is selectively showing Mr Gopal Chawla meeting COAS. Army chief met all guests at the venue, irrespective of identity. A peace initiative should not be subjected to propaganda.”

Indian army chief’s remark

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, in his reaction to Indian army chief Gen Bipin Rawat’s statement, said that Pakistan would now be justified in asking if Indian civilian and military leaders are not on the same page and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s control over his military has weakened.

Gen Rawat, while talking to journalists in India on Friday, asked Pakistan to become a secular state if it wanted to engage with India.

“If they have to stay together with India, then they have to develop as a secular state. We are a secular state. If they’re willing to become secular like us, then they seem to have an opportunity for engagement,” Gen Rawat had said.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2018