lashing out at the BJP for adopting “double standards” on visits to Pakistan, Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday said that unlike the disastrous consequences of its leaders’ visits to the neighboring country, his trip would open the Kartarpur corridor.
“Before me, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji visited Pakistan as a peace gesture. That was followed by the Kargil war. After that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to Pakistan on an unannounced visit, our country witnessed the terrorist attack in Pathankot. But did the attempts at making peace stopij I have also made a similar attempt to sink our differences,” said Sidhu.
At the same time, he claimed that on his visit, talks of opening Kartarpur corridor has been initiated which is a very good sign for the Sikh community.
Sidhu said that hugging Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa was only in reaction to his statement that they were making efforts to open the corridor to Kartarpur Sahib, that too during an “unplanned” meeting during the swearing-in ceremony of Pak Prime Minister .
“I want to make it clear that this meeting took place in Islamabad at a time when Gen Bajwa reached the venue of swearing-in ceremony….He met me with enthusiasm after seeing me sitting in the first row. Immediately, he told me that they were making efforts to open the corridor from Dera Baba Nanak to Kartarpur Sahib to facilitate the pilgrims to pay obeisance on the occasion of 550th prakash diwas of Guru Nanak Dev ji,” said Sidhu.
He said that crores of pilgrims have been waiting to pay obeisance at Kartarpur Sahib, the place where Guru Nanak Devi spent nearly 18 years of his life. “Without a thought, this thing said by Gen Bajwa was an emotional moment for me and the result was for everyone to see. After that brief meeting in the gathering, I had no meeting with Gen Bajwa,” he said.
Sidhu insisted that if India and Pakistan can settle their differences through talks, become good neighbours and increase mutual exchanges in trade and other aspects, it will be a great hope and message for South Asia.
Hurt over the criticism from all quarters, Sidhu said that his “brief visit to Pakistan has emerged a big talking point, and he would like to clear certain things that the visit to Pakistan was not political in any way but just a warm invitation from a friend”.
“That friend, who went through immense hard work and struggle in life. The one, who reached a position, which is respected and holds capability of changing the fate of crores of people,” said Sidhu.