ISLAMABAD - The federal government in the budget for Fiscal Year 2021-22 Friday proposed the allocation of Rs452.910 million for the construction of bridge at Zero line for Kartarpur Sahib Corridor under the Public Sector Development Project (PSDP).
The nearly 420-meter bridge will connect the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan with the Dera Baba Nanak Sahib in the India’s Gurdaspur district.
It must be noted that the 420-meter long bridge was an important part of the Kartarpur Corridor project. However, both the countries were at loggerheads over the construction of bridge as both had their own stances.
Pakistan was insisting for the construction of causeway instead of constructing bridge. However, India was pressing for the construction of full bridge as it will help to protect the Indian areas from flood in case of water over flow in Ravi.
After a long consensus and several meetings between the concerned authorities of both the countries, the deadlock ended in July 2019 when a delegation of Pakistan led by the then Spokesperson Foreign Affairs Dr Muhammad Faisal agreed for the construction of bridge at a meeting held in Wagah border. In the same meeting Pakistan had also decided to allow Visa-Free travel for the Indian passport holders.
It must be noted that the allocation for the construction of bridge is a part of the total amount Rs 493.849 allocated for three projects under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, which included the construction of boundary wall at Hajj complex Quetta with a cost of Rs 25.574 million and for the construction of another Hajj complex at Lahore at cost of Rs 15.365 million.