Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has said that media reports of former PM Dr Manmohan Singh visiting Pakistan for inauguration of Kartarpur Corridor are incorrect. As per news agency ANI, Captain Singh said that while he is definitely not going to Pakistan for the inauguration, he believes Dr Singh will also decline the invite.
Earlier, media reports had poured in that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accepted Pakistan’s invitation to join the 1st Jatha to Kartarpur Gurdwara on November 9.
According to the reports, the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had met the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and invited him for the inauguration of Kartarpur corridor and attend the main event at Sultanpur Lodhi to mark Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 550th Prakash Purab.
In a tweet, Captain Amarinder Singh had confirmed that he had earlier invited Dr Singh to join him on the Jatha to Kartarpur Sahib.
Happy to meet former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh ji at his residence today. Have invited him to join us on the 1st Jatha to Sri Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara & attend the main event at Sultanpur Lodhi to mark Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s #550thPrakashPurab. pic.twitter.com/CZw5bbeUDj
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) October 3, 2019
There is no official denial from Dr Manmohan Singh yet. The proposed visit of Manmohan Singh to Pakistan to visit Kartarpur Sahib may spark new outrage within the country as the visit to the terror state of Pakistan by former Prime Minister might send wrong signals at a time when the whole world is rejecting Pakistan for its state-sponsored terror.
Last week, Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said that his country had decided to invite Manmohan Singh to attend the inaugural ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor.
However, there were reports that Singh’s office was not at all aware of Pakistan’s plans on the event and had maintained that he was unlikely to travel to the country in view of the current tense situation over Kashmir.
The proposed Kartarpur corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district of Punjab, and facilitate visa-free movement of Indian pilgrims, who will only have to obtain a permit to visit the revered Kartarpur Sahib.
However, a Pakistani spy, part of a larger espionage network, was caught recently by the military intelligence from Gurdaspur in Punjab. The accused Pakistani spy was sending photographs and information related to the construction of Kartarpur corridor to his handlers in Pakistan through his WhatsApp number raising doubts about Pakistan’s intention to build the corridor.
Earlier, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh had also warned the country about Pakistan’s treacherous plans to use the Kartarpur corridor to inflict terror on India, especially by reviving Khalistani terror. Captain Amarinder Singh had reiterated his position on the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor by Pakistan. He claimed that it is an ISI ploy to strengthen anti-India forces, including the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).
Pakistan is scheduled to open the Kartarpur Corridor for Indian Sikh pilgrims on November 9, days ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of first Sikh guru Baba Nanak Dev on November 12. Initially, only 5,000 pilgrims will be allowed to visit daily from India but later it will be increased to 10,000 pilgrims per day.
On November 22 last year, the government of India had announced its intention to build the Indian side of the Kartarpur Corridor and had urged Pakistan to reciprocate by building the corridor on Pakistan side.
Senior Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu had caused a severe controversy after he posed with Khalistani terrorist Gopal Singh Chawla during his controversial visit to Pakistan to inaugurate the Kartarpur corridor.
