Sidhu writes to Amarinder, seeks permission to visit Pakistan for Kartarpur corridor inauguration

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday wrote letters to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar requesting permission to visit Pakistan for the inauguration of Kartarpur Corridor.

"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 said.

"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 for necessary action in the matter.

Earlier today, Sidhu's wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu, had said that her husband will attend the inauguration ceremony of Kartarpur corridor if he gets requisite clearances from the concerned authorities.

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

Pakistan's ruling Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had on October 30 said that Islamabad has decided to send an invitation to Navjot Singh Sidhu for the inaugural ceremony.

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