A technical meeting between the Indian and Pakistani delegations to discuss the Kartarpur corridor project began at Zero Point in Gurdaspur, Punjab, on Friday, PTI reported. The Kartarpur Zero Point is the point at which the Indian and Pakistani sides of the corridor will converge.

Fifteen officials from each side are attending the meeting, the news agency said. India and Pakistan are still discussing the modalities regarding opening of the corridor at Narowal, some 125 km away from Lahore.

This is the first meeting between the two sides since the Indian government scrapped special status for Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5, leading to heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad. On Friday, Pakistan observed Kashmir Hour to stand in solidarity with Kashmiris facing “Indian occupation”, Dawn reported.

The last meeting between Indian and Pakistani delegations on the Kartarpur corridor had been held in July. At the meeting, the Indian delegation asked for consular presence in the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara so that pilgrims can be provided assistance. The Ministry of External Affairs said Pakistan has agreed on visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and Overseas Citizenship of India card holders for seven days a week.

Pakistan had on Sunday said tensions with India would not affect the project. Firdous Ashiq Awan, a special assistant to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, said in a tweet that the project would be completed by the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November.

New Delhi and Islamabad laid the foundation stone of the project last November. The corridor will connect Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab with the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in the Kartarpur area of Pakistan’s Narowal district. The corridor will allow Indian Sikh devotees to travel to the pilgrimage site without visas.

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