Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has received an invitation from his ‘friend’ and an ‘angel‘, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), for the inauguration of Kartarpur Corridor on November 9.
On behalf of PTI, Senator Faisal Javed Khan had a telephonic conversation with Navjot Singh Sidhu on the direction of PM Imran Khan and invited him to Pakistan on November 9.
This development came after India on Tuesday shared with Pakistan a list of 575 people who will be part of the first jatha to Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan through the Kartarpur corridor. Controversial leader Navjot Singh Sidhu was not a part of.
The group will be led by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, Union minister Hardeep Puri, Harsimrat Kaur Badal and MPs and MLAs from Punjab will also be part of the group.
According to a PTI report, Pakistan has denied permission for a composite delegation led by the Punjab government, along with representatives of SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) and DSGMC (Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee) to organise “Akhand path” (recital of holy scripture) and hold “Nagar kirtan” (religious procession) at Nankana Sahib.
Navjot Singh Sidhu had earlier created a stir when he had happily accepted the invitation extended to him by the Pakistan Foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to attend the foundation stone laying ceremony for the Pakistan side of the proposed Kartapur Corridor while Punjab CM Amarinder Singh had said that due to continued terrorist attacks in Punjab, killings of Indian soldiers by armed forces of Pakistan, he will not be attending the event.
Similarly, Sidhu had landed himself in controversy when he visited Pakistan to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Imran Khan and hugged Pakistani Army chief Qamar Bajwa. Sidhu came under a barrage of attacks both from the ruling BJP and also his fellow party leaders such as Punjab CM Amarinder Singh.
During his controversial Pakistan visit in January, Sidhu had said that he brought up the issue of opening of the Kartarpur Corridor with Pakistani authorities and his “friend” Imran Khan.
Owing to his contentious conduct, Sidhu and Amrinder Singh have had an uncordial relationship in the past. Earlier, the Punjab CM had criticised Sidhu for his acts during Imran Khan’s swearing-in ceremony as PM of Pakistan. At that time, Amarinder Singh had said, “every day our jawans are getting martyred. To hug their Chief General Bajwa…I am against this,” The CM had also clarified the Sidhu went to Pakistan on a personal capacity and on an official visit, disassociating the Punjab government from the controversial visit. Sidhu had resiged from the Punjab government due to such differences with the CM.
