Citing Pakistan-based Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)’s “nefarious activities” in Punjab and the killings of Indian soldiers by Pakistan armed forces, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday courteously declined neighbouring country’s invitation to attend ground-breaking ceremony for Kartarpur corridor on November 28; while his Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu accepted the request with “an unalloyed joy”.
At the same time, SAD’s MP from Bathinda and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal will attend the function in Pakistan, representing the Indian Government along with her Cabinet colleague and Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh Hardeep Singh Puri. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has nominated the two on her behalf after she expressed her inability to attend the same.
The invite was sent by Pakistan Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi to Sushma, Capt Amarinder and Sidhu, on behalf of the Pakistan Government to attend the ceremony at Kartarpur on November 28 where their Prime Minister Imran Khan will perform the ceremony.
Earlier, Pakistan cricketing legend Imran Khan had personally telephoned his friend from the cricket days, Sidhu, to attend the function — which he had accepted right away considering the permission from the Indian Government.
Later, formal invites was sent to the Indian dignitaries.
Amarinder, in a letter to Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi, said it is a historic occasion, but he regretted his inability to be present.
“My reason for declining the invitation was two-fold. Firstly, not a day passes when Indian soldiers are not killed or wounded on the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir. Rather than moving towards normalcy, these incidents are escalating,” he said.
Secondly, the CM claimed that Pakistan’s ISI has started its nefarious activities in Punjab.
Amarinder even tweeted his refusal, “Always cherished dream to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib. Regret to decline invite of @SMQureshiPTI @ForeignOfficePk for Kartarpur Sahib Corridor ceremony. Cannot go while killings of Indian soldiers & terror attacks in Punjab continue. May Waheguru bless us with peace & amity! (sic)”
“Since March 2017, the State has neutralised 19 ISI-armed and controlled modules, apprehended 81 terrorists and seized 79 weapons, numerous grenades of the HG-84 type made in Pakistan’s Ordnance factories with Austrian know-how, and some IEDs,” the Chief Minister claimed in his letter.
He pointed that the last attack took place in Amritsar on last Sunday on a peaceful religious congregation in a village wherein three men were killed and 19, including women and children, were wounded.
“Both terrorists have since been caught,” he added.
Thanking Qureshi for the invitation, the Chief Minister recalled his visit to Pakistan when he had paid his respects at Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahib and Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib where his father Maharaja Yadvindra Singh had reconstructed Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib in 1932.
“As you will see from the stone laid at Gurdwara Sri Kartarpur Sahib, it was my grandfather Maharaja Bhupindra Singh who carried out flood protection measures from 1920 to 1929 to protect our Gurdwara which was being ravaged by floods in the river Ravi each year,” he said.
Amarinder, in his two-page letter, expressed hope that the Pakistani Prime Minister “will do all he can to bring our two countries together on the road to peace and friendship”.
On the other hand, Sidhu, in his reply to Qureshi, stated, “It is with great honour and unalloyed joy that I accept your invitation to attend the ground-breaking ceremony at Kartarpur Sahib on November 28. I look forward to meeting you on this historic occasion.”
Punjab’s local Government, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister, who had been advocating a corridor connecting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur with Dera Baba Nanak Sahib in Punjab’s Gurdaspur, wrote that his application “for permission to attend (the ceremony) is now lodged with the Ministry of External Affairs”.
“This day will indeed break ground. As our nations take this first step, the Kartarpur Spirit can make pilgrims of us all, venturing out on a journey that breaks the barriers of history and opens the borders of hearts and the mind,” he said in his one-page letter.
Sidhu said a “journey that our people can walk together towards a future of shared peace and prosperity for India and Pakistan”.
Notably, Qureshi, in his letter to Sidhu, had accredited him for the development. “You remained a steadfast partner in this endeavour,” he stated in November 24 letter.
Responding, Sidhu said, “Good deeds speak for themselves, the hand only interprets their eloquence. Every noble act makes way for itself.”
Sidhu added, “It’s a commendable step by both the Governments (India and Pakistan). I used to say that you (India) take a step, and they (Pakistan) are ready to take two...Now you took a step and they announced the next day that we will inaugurate it.”