New Delhi, September 17: Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has rebuked Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for messing up Kartarpur Sahib Corridor dialogue. Swaraj has also hit out at the Punjab minister for hugging Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal speaking to news agency ANI said, “External Affairs Minister reprimands Navjot Sidhu for messing up Kartarpur Sahib corridor dialogue and misusing political clearance granted for a private visit by hugging military Chief responsible for killing our soldiers.”

Earlier in the day, Sidhu met the external affairs minister to discuss Kartarpur corridor. According to reports, thousands of Sikh pilgrims have gathered near the international border in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district to catch a glimpse of Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, situated 4.5km away in Pakistan’s Narowal district, across the Ravi river.

After his Pakistan visit to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, Sidhu claimed that the Pakistan Army Chief assured him of opening the Kartarpur Corridor on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Last week Pakistan’s information minister Fawad Ahmad Chaudhry stated that the Imran Khan government was mulling over to allow “visa-free direct access” to Kartarpur Sahib for Indian Sikh Pilgrims.

However, Union minister V K Singh said that India had “not received any proposal” from Pakistan to open the route. The Punjab Cabinet Minister faced flak for hugging Pakistan army chief, General Bajwa at the oath ceremony of new Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan On August 18. He was also criticised for sitting beside President of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) Masood Khan during the ceremony.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 17, 2018 07:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).