WAGAH/LAHORE: A meeting between Pakistan and India to discuss details of the Kartarpur Corridor project took place in a “conducive environment and remained positive” the Foreign Office spokesman said on Thursday.
Dr. Muhammad Faisal, who is also the Director General for South Asia and SAARC, led an 18-member delegation from Pakistan on Thursday morning to discuss the draft agreement with officials from across the border. S.C.L. Das, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs led the Indian delegation.
During the course of the meeting, officials from both sides discussed matters related to the project such as construction work and other technicalities.
A joint statement issued after the meeting said that the talks to discuss “the modalities and the draft agreement for the facilitation of pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib” were held “in a cordial environment.”
Before reading the joint communiqué signed by the two delegations at Attari — the Indian side of the border — Dr. Faisal described the meeting as “powerful.”
“It was a powerful meeting, and participants from the two sides (India and Pakistan) held positive talks and issued a joint statement. It is after a long time that the two nations have issued a joint statement as the last one was issued in 2016,” Dr. Faisal said.
He added that the next round of talks would take place in Wagah — the Pakistani side of the border — on April 2, prior to which the two sides would meet on March 19 to discuss the modalities of the projects.
When questioned whether there were any differences of opinion pertaining to the project, Dr. Faisal said: “There are differences on certain aspects but the details of those cannot be revealed at the moment.”
The project seeks to provide easy access to Sikhs from across the world, including India, by connecting the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in the Kartarpur area of Pakistan’s Narowal district with Dera Baba Nanak in India’s Gurdaspur District.
Pakistan-India meeting on Kartarpur Corridor positive — FO spokesman
Pakistan-India meeting on Kartarpur Corridor positive — FO spokesman
- Two countries issue joint statement after three years
- Next round of talks to take place at Wagah on April 2
Pakistan to send over 10,000 workers to Italy over three years after securing employment quota
- Government says Italy will admit 3,500 workers annually under seasonal and non-seasonal labor schemes
- It calls the deal a 'milestone' as Italy becomes the first European country to allocate job quota for Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has secured a quota of 10,500 jobs from Italy over the next three years, an official statement said on Saturday, opening legal employment pathways for Pakistani workers in Europe under Italy’s seasonal and non-seasonal labor programs.
Under the arrangement, 3,500 Pakistani workers will be employed in Italy each year, including 1,500 seasonal workers hired for time-bound roles, and 2,000 non-seasonal workers for longer-term employment across sectors.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development said Italy is the first European country to allocate a dedicated labor quota to Pakistan, describing the move as a milestone in Pakistan’s efforts to expand overseas employment opportunities beyond traditional labor markets in the Middle East.
“After prolonged efforts, doors to employment for the Pakistani workforce in Italy are about to open,” Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain said, calling the quota allocation a “historic milestone.”
The jobs will be available across multiple sectors, including shipbreaking, hospitality, healthcare and agriculture, with opportunities for skilled and semi-skilled workers in professions such as welding, technical trades, food services, housekeeping, nursing, medical technology and farming.
The agreement comes as Pakistan seeks to diversify overseas employment destinations for its workforce and increase remittance inflows, which remain a key source of foreign exchange for the country’s economy.
The ministry said a second meeting of the Pakistan-Italy Joint Working Group on labor cooperation is scheduled to be held in Islamabad in February 2026, where implementation and future cooperation are expected to be discussed.
