Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and all members of the Punjab Legislative Assembly have received a formal invitation to visit Pakistan, extended by Ramesh Singh Arora, Pakistan’s Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs and president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
The invitation comes after Mann expressed his desire to attend the fourth International Punjabi Conference scheduled to be held in Lahore from November 27 to 29. The invitation was sent by renowned Punjabi poet Baba Bashir Hussain Nazmi, popularly known as Baba Nazmi, and the Punjabi Prachar Organisation.
Arora said Pakistan was committed to strengthening religious, cultural and mutual brotherhood ties between the two sides. He added that he shared good relations with the Punjab Assembly Speaker and would be delighted to host all members of the House in Pakistan.
“Come and see how beautiful Pakistan is,” Arora said, expressing his willingness to welcome the Punjab legislators.
During the Punjab Assembly session on October 23, Mann referred to the invitation and questioned whether the BJP-led Central Government would grant him permission to travel to Pakistan. He remarked that the Centre did not even allow him to visit countries such as France or Japan, expressing doubts about receiving clearance for Pakistan.
Mann also suggested that, subject to political and security clearances from the Centre, the entire Punjab Assembly could travel together to Pakistan through the Kartarpur Corridor to pay obeisance at the revered Sikh shrines.
The proposed visit would provide an opportunity for Punjab legislators to visit historic Sikh religious sites and participate in efforts to strengthen Punjabi cultural and religious ties across the border.
