Pak video on Kartarpur Corridor bares evil designs of non-state actors
07 Nov 2019
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A video released by Pakistan on the Kartarpur corridor that showed a poster of three Khalistani separatists with "Khalistan 2020" written on it, indicated designs of Pakistani army and its notorious intelligence agency ISI and has raised concerns in India, government sources said on Wednesday.
The four-minute video clip, released by Pakistan's ministry of information and broadcasting on Monday, shows Sikh pilgrims visiting a gurdwara in Pakistan with a poster of Khalistan separatists Bhindranwale, Shabeg Singh and Amrik Singh Khalsa in the backdrop. The three separatists were killed during Indian Army's `Operation Blue Star’ in Amritsar in June 1984.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Kartarpur Corridor on the Indian side on Friday. But the video shows, "Powers larger than the civil government of Pakistan are pushing the project."
The government said India is aware of the duality but has gone ahead with the project keeping in mind the faith of pilgrims.
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh had also warned that Pakistan has `ulterior motives’ behind the opening of the Kartarpur corridor and that India "will have to be careful".
"Publicly they (Pakistan) say peace, people to People contact and minorities, but what Pakistan wants is greater leverage on the issue of Khalistan and a 20-20 referendum on it," sources say.
Simultaneously, in a move to create division between Sikh and Hindu pilgrims, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan also commented that Sikh pilgrims would not require passports to visit Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, sources pointed out.
This, sources said, is aimed at pushing their plans of leveraging the remnants of Khalistan movement. While the concerns at what Pakistan was attempting remain, sources said, India is looking at a larger objective of facilitating pilgrimage by all who want to go.
"There are reports of sporadic separatist activities in gurdwaras across the border," government sources said. The mater has been raised with Pakistan. There is a clause in the agreement between India and Pakistan that in case of any exigency, the corridor can be suspended. "Such places will be closely watched," sources said.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also warned about Pakistan's game plan when asked about the video today. "Since Day One, I have been warning about Pakistan's hidden agenda," the 77-year-old Congress leader told reporters. "On one side, they (Pakistan) show love... but on the other side, they may try to create trouble. We have to be very careful," he said.
Punjab, Singh said, is on high alert ahead of the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor. "I do not expect Pakistan to dare to do any mischief through the Corridor but it is important for Punjab, being a border state to remain on alert," he added.
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