Citing terror attacks in state, Punjab CM declines invitation to Kartarpur corridor ceremony

WION Web Team

New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Nov 25, 2018, 01:37 PM IST

File photo: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh Photograph:(Facebook)

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This comes a day after Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj on Saturday announced that she will not travel to Pakistan to attend the event.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has declined Pakistan Foreign Minister’s invitation to attend the foundation stone laying for Kartarpur Corridor, news agency ANI reported.

According to reports, Singh has cited continued terrorist attacks in Punjab and killings of Indian soldiers by Pakistan armed forces as his reason to skip the ceremony.

Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh has declined Pakistan Foreign Minister’s invitation to attend the foundation stone laying for #KartarpurCorridor, citing continued terrorist attacks in his state and killings of Indian soldiers by Pakistan armed forces. pic.twitter.com/G4PmgfqGrs
— ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2018

Meanwhile, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has accepted the invitation to the event. "I look forward to meeting you on this historic occasion. My application for permission to attend is now lodged with MEA," he wrote in his reply to the invite.

Responding to invitation of Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to attend opening ceremony of #KartarpurCorridor corridor,Navjot Singh Sidhu writes "I look forward to meeting you on this historic occasion. My application for permission to attend is now lodged with MEA" pic.twitter.com/4NexsNPtxS
— ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2018

Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj on Saturday announced that she will not travel to Pakistan to attend the event due to prior commitments, including campaigning for the Telangana assembly elections.

India will be sending two ministers to take part in Kartarpur corridor's groundbreaking ceremony on November 28, which will be done by Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Swaraj thanked Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for an invite to attend the ceremony. Union ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Puri will travel to Pakistan instead.