ISLAMABAD - No doubt Kartarpur corridor link was the focal point of the connect between Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh when they met on Saturday, but there was another, equally interesting subject of common interest they discovered and talked about during the short bus ride from the Pak side of the zero line to Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara, ANI has reported.
"Cricket, of course, is always a common thread between every Indian and Pakistani. It bonds as well as it fires passions between the two sides. But this bus ride was one of bonding, with Captain Amarinder Singh helping Imran discover a special connect between their families, even though the two had not met before and did not know each other personally," a statement from office Chief Minister Singh read.
During the short journey, Captain Amarinder Singh told Khan that he had seen him play during his cricketing days.
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During his conversation with Khan, Singh told the Pak premier that his uncle, Jahangir Khan (who was married to Imran Khan's maternal aunt, Mubarak, and was a cricketer during the British Raj era) had played for Patiala, along with Mohd Nisar, Lala Amarnath, fast bowler Amar Singh and the two Ali batsmen (Wazir Ali and Amir Ali), the statement read.
These seven players were part of the team captained by Amarinder Singh's father, Maharaja Yadvinder Singh, in 1934-35, for India and for Patiala, a fascinating bit of information that Imran enjoyed hearing from the Chief Minister, the statement added.
The bus ride lasted for less than five minutes, but, "thanks to cricket, it was enough to break the ice between Imran Khan and Captain Amarinder."