Congress leader and former minister of Local Government, Tourism and Cultural Affairs in Punjab, Navjot Singh Sidhu after accepting his ‘friend’ and ‘angel’ Imran Khan’s invitation to Kartarpur corridor inauguration, has written to the Punjab CM Capt. Amarinder Singh and to the Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar seeking permission for the same.
In the letter, Sidhu states that he has been invited by the Pakistan government for the opening ceremony of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor on November 9, 2019, and sought permission to visit Pakistan to attend the ceremony.
Saying that the Sikh community all over the world looks forward to visiting the holy shrine associated with their spiritual leader Baba Guru Nanak and thanking the Pakistan Prime Minister for inviting him to the inauguration, the former cricketer had said: “I’m grateful to the prime minister for inviting me to the historic inauguration of Kartarpur Corridor.”
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.
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 resigned from the Punjab government due to such differences with the CM.
