ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday strongly rejected the Indian media’s baseless propaganda that Islamabad has been misusing the 4.5km corridor that allows Indian pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan visa-free to conduct business meetings, and strongly advised India not to mislead on the corridor.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) spokesperson in a statement issued in Islamabad said that Pakistan has not used the Kartarpur corridor for any sort of business meetings and such propaganda statements are part of India’s conscious campaign against Pakistan.

“Pakistan alone hosted over 2,000 Sikh pilgrims recently at Baisakhi Mela held this year from April 21-22 and provided them ample facilities to visit their holy sites. And Sikh community globally appreciates Pakistan’s measures towards the Sikh pilgrims,” he said.

The Kartarpur corridor was a gift from Pakistan to the Sikh community. “The propaganda is tantamount to sabotaging the opening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims,” the foreign office spokesman said. He categorically rejected Indian media propaganda campaigns to put blame on Pakistan for using the Kartarpur Corridor other than facilitating the Sikh pilgrims.

Pakistan said Indian propaganda against Kartarpur – Corridor of Peace – will never be succeeded. The MOFA spokesman said that the Indian attempts are not new to divert the plight and injustice towards minorities especially Muslims.

“India has been mercilessly targeting the minorities in the country; however, Pakistan gives top priority to its minorities,” the statement reads. Indian media on Thursday claimed that Pakistan is ‘misusing’ the corridor to interact with Indian pilgrims and cultivate contacts with them and to conduct business meetings.