NEW DELHI – Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu today defended hugging thePakistan Army chief during his recent Islamabad visit, saying he got caughtin the moment after hearing that Sikh pilgrims may get access to a shrineacross the border.
Back from the swearing-in ceremony of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan,the former cricketer compared his hig with Prime Minister Narendra Modivisit to Lahore in 2015, when he hugged the then Pakistan Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif. He said that ‘no one questioned PM Modi’.
He said: “In the past also efforts for peace have been made, the lateVajpayee ji had taken ‘dosti bus’ to Lahore, invited Musharraf. PM Modiinvited Nawaz Sharif to oath-taking, he also went suddenly to Lahore”
Sidhu said his trip was not a “political” visit but in response to a “warminvitation from a friend”.
Sidhu said it was an emotional moment for him when General Qamar JavedBajwa told him that Pakistan was making efforts to open a corridor forpilgrims from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district to Kartarpur Sahib.
Sidhu was slammed by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and the AkaliDal, and criticised even by Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh forhugging Bajwa at Imran Khan’s swearing-in on August 18.
After his Chandigarh press conference today, the BJP has again criticisedSidhu.
Sidhu said Bajwa had met him with enthusiasm when he spotted him sitting inthe front row at the Islamabad ceremony.