Posters hailing Navjot Singh Sidhu and Pak PM for Kartarpur corridor surface in Amritsar

Posters hailing former Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan surfaced in Amritsar on Tuesday describing them as "real heroes" of Kartarpur corridor.

The posters in Punjabi language, with pictures of Sidhu and Khan, read: "Navjot Singh Sidhu and Imran Khan are the real heroes for opening Kartarpur Corridor."

This comes after Imran Khan sent a formal invitation to Sidhu for the inaugural ceremony of the much-awaited Kartarpur corridor, which is slated to be held on November 9.

Sidhu, who has expressed his willingness to attend the inaugural ceremony, has written to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday, requesting permission to visit Pakistan for the same.

"It is brought to your kind notice that I have been invited by the Pakistan government for the opening ceremony of Kartarpur Corridor on November 9, 2019. As a humble Sikh, it shall be a great honour to pay obeisance to our great Guru Baba Nanak on this historic occasion and connect to our roots," he wrote.

"Therefore, I may be permitted to visit Pakistan for this auspicious occasion," he added.

The Chief Minister has forwarded Sidhu's request to the Chief Secretary of the State for necessary action in the matter.

It may be noted that External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had recently cleared that invites from Pakistan for the inaugural ceremony would have to seek political clearance.

Sidhu, who had earlier attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor, has not been included in a Congress delegation, which will be visiting the gurdwara on November 9.

Navjot Singh Sidhu's visit to Pakistan in 2018 had drawn criticism from some quarters in India after he hugged the Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan.