Pakistan ‘regrets’ visa refusal to journalists by India

By Riyaz ul Khaliq</p> <p>ANKARA (AA) – Pakistan on Wednesday voiced disappointment over what it said India’s decision to not issue visas to Pakistani journalists for a meeting on Kartarpur Corridor.</p> <p>In a Twitter post, Mohammad Faisal, spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Office, said: “Regrettable that India has not given visas to Pakistani journalists for the Kartarpur meeting tomorrow.”</p> <p>There is no official word from Indian side on the issue yet.</p> <p>Officials of India and Pakistani will meet in Attari on Indian side of Punjab to discuss draft of the proposed agreement on the Kartarpur Corridor.</p> <p>Indian officials will pay a follow-up visit to Islamabad on March 28.</p> <p>&quot;Hope the #PakKartarpurSpirit and meeting tomorrow will bring a change for the better for people of both countries,&quot; Faisal said. </p> <p>Last November, Pakistan performed groundbreaking of Kartarpur Corridor in a ceremony attended by two Indian government cabinet ministers. </p> <p>Faisal recalled the Pakistani government had allowed more than 30 Indian journalists to cover the Kartarpur groundbreaking ceremony.</p> <p>“They [Indian journalists] also met PM [prime minister] &amp; were hosted by FM [foreign minister] for a dinner during their stay,” he added. </p> <p>The corridor will give uninterrupted access to Sikh pilgrims from India to visit their holy site in Pakistan along the international border in Punjab province. </p> <p>Pakistan had shared its draft of the proposed agreement on the Kartarpur Corridor with India in January and called for initiation of negotiations for its finalization, Pakistani daily Dawn reported. </p> <p>The decision by the Indian government came days after Islamabad said New Delhi did not issue visas to Pakistanis willing to visit the shrine of a Sufi saint in India.</p> <p>“India has refused visas to Pakistan pilgrims desiring to attend the Urs of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti for second consecutive year,” Sahibzada Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, Pakistan’s minister of religious affairs, had said in a statement on March 05. </p> <p>According to Pakistani daily The Nation, Qadri said that the Indian Embassy in Islamabad informed his ministry through telephone about the refusal of visas.