Pak says will invite Modi again for Saarc Summit
REACHING OUT Islamabad says ties can’t be fixed quickly; India yet to confirm invite
LAHORE: Pakistan will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit, Pakistan’s foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said on Tuesday even as Punjab state minister Navjot Singh Sidhu arrived in the country for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor.
Addressing an event in Islamabad, Faisal made the remarks about inviting the Indian prime minister to the Saarc summit, which was to be held in Islamabad in 2016 but was called off after New Delhi pulled out over the Uri terror attack carried out by Pakistan-based terrorists.
There was no official reaction from India. Queries to the ministry of external affairs (MEA) remained unanswered.
A foreign ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said India was yet to get an official invite. The official, however, said that even the timing of the meeting is uncertain. He pointed out that Saarc summits are usually held in November, but that this year November is almost over and Bangladesh is going to polls in December. Next year, India will vote in the general elections. An official in the Prime Minister’s Office, too, confirmed that PM Modi was yet to receive an invitation.
After India pulled out of the summit of the eight-member Saarc bloc two years ago citing Pakistan’s help to terrorists, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh too decided not to take part. According to the rules, if even one head of state, or government, decides not to participate, the summit has to be postponed. “They [Pakistan] have been not only been shunned by India but by other Saarc countries as well. It is now up to New Delhi to decide [on Pakistan’s invite],” former Indian envoy Shiv Shankar Mukherjee said.
In Islamabad, Faisal pointed out that Prime Minister Imran Khan had in his first address said Pakistan would take two steps if India took one step forward.
NAROWAL: Elaborate arrangements have been made at Narowal in Pakistan for the groundbreaking ceremony of a religious corridor between Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, the final resting place of Guru Nanak, and Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district of Punjab.
According to Pak media reports, Prime Minister Imran Khan will perform groundbreaking of the corridor on the Pakistani side on Wednesday, which will be attended by a host of dignitaries from both the countries. The foundation stone of the corridor on the Indian side, from Dera Baba Nanak to the International Border, was laid on Monday by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
Pakistan Punjab chief minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has arranged a special dinner for the guests on Wednesday, Dunya News reported. The Kartarpur corridor, which will facilitate visa-free travel of Indian Sikh pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, is expected to be completed within six months, Pakistan foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said on Tuesday.
While cricketer-turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal and Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla have already reached Pakistan for the ceremony, Union ministers Hasimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Puri will reach Narowal on Wednesday.
Earlier, Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi extended invitation to his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to attend the ceremony. A group of 25 journalists from India have been invited by Pakistan for the event.
Hailing the opening of the corridor, people on both sides of the border say it has the potential to bring “hope and peace” between the two countries. “We have fought a lot in the last 70 years. There was no gain from those fights by either India or Pakistan. It is now time we begin a new journey and the Katarpur corridor has the potential to bring peace,” says Abbas Khan, a 60-year-old Pakistan trader, a resident of Narowal.
Another Pakistani citizen, Bilal Mohammed, who is from Lahore, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an influential leader and both he and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan can bring changes in the bilateral relations if they want. “It will be a corridor of hope and peace. We must initiate similar efforts to normalise ties between the two countries,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi likened the decision by the two countries to fall of the Berlin Wall, indicating that the project may ease simmering tension between the two countries.
Many Indian residents at the Attari-Wagha border also welcomed the move by both the countries to build the corridor in their respective areas.
“It has been our demand for a long-long time and the governments of both the countries have now decided to roll out the project. We are ecstatic,” said 35-year-old Manjeet Singh. “The corridor will boost tourism and it will be beneficial for us. It will help us economically. The face of the areas may change because of the corridor,” said Ranjita Singh, a college student.
PAK PUNJAB CM SARDAR USMAN BUZDAR HAS ARRANGED A SPECIAL DINNER FOR GUESTS ON WEDNESDAY; CITIZENS ACROSS BORDER HAIL THE CORRIDOR MOVE