LAHORE - The third round of talks between Pakistan and India on Kartarpur Corridor was held at Attari on Wednesday to discuss and finalise draft agreement on opening of the corridor.

The Pakistani delegation was led by Spokesperson of Foreign Office Dr Muhammad Faisal accompanied by other officials from various departments.

Later, briefing the media, Dr Muhammad Faisal said the third round of the talks held at Atari -- Indian side of the border which touches Lahore city -- concluded on a ‘positive’ note.

He said Pakistan had completed more than 90 per cent of the work on Kartarpur Corridor, adding Pakistan was committed to open the corridor by November this year on the 550th birthday of Baba Guru Nanak.

Dr Faisal said, Pakistan would allow entry of more than 5,000 Sikh pilgrims and special cards would be issued to the Sikh devotees instead of visas.

To a question about development work done by Indian side at the corridor, Dr Faisal said the Indian government was responsible for what they have done. “India needs to show some flexibility as we have taken an unprecedented initiative to reflect our commitment with the minorities,” he added.

Dr Faisal says talks concluded on positive note. Delhi hands over list of 5,000 intending pilgrims

The spokesperson said that the Foreign Office would soon arrange a visit for journalists for showing the progress on development work at the corridor.

Except for two or three points, he said, the two sides have almost agreed on a draft agreement for the operationalization of the corridor, including the number of pilgrims to be visiting Pakistan after the opening of the corridor.

According to Radio Pakistan, New Delhi handed over a list of 5,000 Sikh pilgrims who wished to visit Kartarpur in November.

Dr Faisal hoped that the remaining sticking points with respect to Kartarpur Corridor would also be resolved.

Islamabad also invited New Delhi for the final meeting on the Pakistani side of the border to resolve the remaining points, he added.

Earlier on August 30, technical experts of both the countries held a meeting at Dera Baba Nanak.

During an earlier round of talks held on July 14 at Wagah, both sides had made some progress in finalising the draft agreement with regard to the modalities.

It was agreed to allow visa-free travel for the Indian passport holders and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card holders.

Pakistan has almost completed work of the corridor project on its side, but the work on the Indian side is yet to reach 50 per cent of its completion.

The corridor, to be opened on the eve of 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak, will allow Sikh pilgrims direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak passed away in 1539.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had laid the foundation stone of Kartarpur Corridor to link Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan with India’s Gurdaspur district on November 28 last year.

The corridor will also be the first visa-free corridor between the two neighbours since their independence in 1947.

Kartarpur Sahib Temple is one of the most revered temples for the Sikh community as Baba Guru Nanak spent the last 18 years of his life here.

The distance between the temple and Gurdaspur is merely 3 kilometers (2 miles) but the closure of this crossing costs Sikh pilgrims from India to travel hundreds of kilometers, via Amritsar and Lahore, to reach here.

Observers feel the talks could thaw relations between the two neighbours after heightened tensions over India’s unilateral decision of removing special status of Jammu and Kashmir last month.