NEW DELHI – Indian cricketer-turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu hasrevealed that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had given himpermission to visit Pakistan.

He defended hugging Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwaduring his much-talked-about visit to Pakistan to attend Prime MinisterImran Khan’s inauguration.

This is the first time Sidhu has spoken about the incident, which is beingtermed as an anti-national act by a section of media in India but hailed bymost Pakistanis, in detail.

While talking to *India Today*link*, *Sidhu started off by clarifying that he went to Pakistan as PrimeMinister Khan’s friend and a goodwill ambassador of peace.

“I went after being invited five to ten times,” he said. “All the officialmeasures were taken … Imran called me and said you must come,” he added.

Sidhu relayed that Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swarajphoned him on the night of August 14 and said, “*Putar jee teri permissionhogaye hay* (son you have the permission).”

He began citing examples of former (late) Indian prime minister Atal BiharVajpayee and incumbent PM Narendra Modi.