New Delhi: Two days ahead of the second round of India-Pakistan meeting on Kartarpur Corridor, Pakistan’s federal cabinet on Friday removed Gopal Singh Chawla, member of Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, from his post.
India had earlier raised objections to pro-Khalistani leader Chawla being part of the Kartarpur project.
“The Federal Government (Federal Cabinet) has been pleased to re-constitute the Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC),” Pakistan said in an official statement on Friday, thereby dropping Chawla’s name from the panel.
“I have given sacrifices for the Kartarpur project. I am thankful to Pakistan PM Imran Khan that he is serious about opening the corridor,” Chawla told CNN-News18 on Saturday.
India and Pakistan are scheduled to meet for a second time on Sunday to resolve the pending issues related to the Kartarpur corridor. While India is building a bridge to help pilgrims cross the flood-prone Ravi creek near Baba Dera Nanak in Punjab, Pakistan authorities insist they can only build a causeway on their side as there isn’t enough time to build a bridge.
Chawla, a pro-Khalistan leader, had courted controversy on July 1 by sharing Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu’s morphed image sporting green turban with a star and crescent on his Facebook page.
The first round of talks related to the Kartarpur Corridor was held on March 14 on the Indian side of the Attari-Wagah border and the second round is scheduled for July 14 at the Wagah border on the Pakistani side.
The second round of talks was originally scheduled on April 2 but India had raised objections to pro-Khalistani leader Chawla being linked to the Kartarpur project.