Kartarpur corridor not connected to dialogue process with Pakistan: Sushma Swaraj

New Delhi, Nov 28: Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday welcomed Pakistan's decision to build the Kartarpur corridor but made it clear that this was not connected with dialogue process between India and Pakistan.

"For many years, the Indian government has been asking for this (Kartarpur) corridor, only now Pakistan responded positively. It doesn't mean the bilateral dialogue will start because of this, terror and talks can't go together," Swaraj said.

The Foreign Minister's remarks came a day after Pakistan Foreign Office said PM Narendra Modi will be invited for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit.

Swaraj said no dialogue can take place between India and Pakistan till the time the latter puts a curb on terrorist activities emanating from its soil. "PM Narendra Modi will not go to Pakistan to attend the SAARC Summit," she declared.

Two central government ministers -- Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri will be in attendance as Imran Khan lays the foundation stone at the groundbreaking of the Pak end of the corridor at Kartarpur.

On Tuesday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal had declared in Islamabad that Pakistan will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the next SAARC summit in the country.

The 2016 SAARC Summit was to be held in Islamabad. But after a deadly terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir in September that year, India expressed its inability to participate in the summit due to "prevailing circumstances".

The summit was called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate in the Islamabad meet. Maldives and Sri Lanka are the seventh and eighth members of the initiative.

This time around, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are unlikely to take part in the summit.