The United States has said that it welcomes efforts to increase people-to-people ties between India and Pakistan through the opening of the Kartarpur corridor.
Both countries have agreed to construct the corridor to facilitate Sikh pilgrims with visa-free entry to Pakistan.
Robert Palladino, the deputy US State Department spokesperson, discussed during a press briefing in Washington DC on November 29 the opening of the Kartarpur corridor and said there are no meetings scheduled with Prime Minister Imran Khan at the time.
To a question about the United States looking towards Pakistan to bring the Taliban to the table for the peace negotiations, he said that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has emphasised the need for Pakistan to deliver outcome and build confidence and trust between the two countries. Our policy towards Pakistan is clear, he asserted.
As Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said at a November 28 dinner, many countries in the region feel that Pakistan and India’s stalemate is holding the entire region back. He said that the most sensible way forward is to sit and talk about our issues.
During the Kartarpur corridor groundbreaking ceremony on November 28, PM Khan spoke about improving ties with India and said the army, government and politicians are all on the same page when it comes to wanting peace.
The past is to be learnt from, not to live in, he asserted during his speech. He vowed that if India took one step forward, Pakistan would reciprocate by taking two.
Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, however, said that the opening of the corridor did not signal an improvement in relations between the two countries and that it had not led to more dialogue.
