Punjab CM condemns Pak for denying Indian envoy access to Gurdwara

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday strongly condemned Islamabad's act of refusing to allow India's High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria to enter Gurdwara Panja Sahib despite having the requisite permission from the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Terming it a shocking reflection of Islamabad's blind and senseless animosity against New Delhi, the Chief Minister said that by bringing religion into its political game-plan, Pakistan has stooped to a new low in its relations with India, besides exposing its utter disdain for international and diplomatic conventions.

The Chief Minister, who also tweeted his angst against Pakistan's cheap and unholy act, said Islamabad had no right to prevent the Indian official from entering the Gurdwara, which was a religious place open to everyone and not a military institution with restricted access.

"The fact that Bisaria had taken the necessary permission from Pakistan's foreign ministry made the denial of access to him even more appalling and atrocious," said Captain Amarinder.

"Coming days after the brazen ceasefire violations by Pakistan during the holy month of Ramzan, this act shows the neighbouring had renounced even the pretension of trying to normalize relations with India," he added, warning against the dangerous repercussions of Islamabad's actions.

The Chief Minister, a strong advocate of peace and promotion of bilateral relations between the two countries, said that such acts were not only detrimental to any hopes of normalizing ties but had the potential of aggravating the simmering tensions between the neighbours. "This was not in the interest of either nation," he said.

"While India continues to try to improve relations with its neighbor, Pakistan seems hell-bent on scuttling any such effort," said Chief Minister Singh, urging Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj to take up the issue at the highest levels with Islamabad and give them a befitting response.

The Chief Minister tweeted his condemnation over the incident saying, "Refusal by Islamabad to allow Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria @IndiainPakistan to enter Gurdwara Panja Sahib shows the lows to which Pak can stoop in its anti-India campaign. It was a religious place, not a military institution. Urge @SushmaSwaraj to give a befitting reply."

The Chief Minister further pointed out that this was not the first such instance in which the Indian High Commissioner had been prevented from discharging his consular duties by Islamabad.