Sidhu reacts to critics; says Pakistan visit was not political
What's the story
Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu today said that his visit to Pakistan was not political but just on a warm invitation from a friend, in a bid to clarify his decision to visit the neighboring country and hug its Army chief.
Sidhu attended the swearing-in ceremony of his friend former Cricketer Imran Khan as the PM of Pakistan in Islamabad on August 18.
Warm invitation
Sidhu clarifies his intentions of the visit
"My brief visit to Pakistan was not political in any way but just a warm invitation from a friend (Imran Khan)," Sidhu said.
"That friend, who went through immense hard work and struggle in life. The one, who reached a position, which is respected and holds capability of changing the fate of crores of people," he said in during a press conference in Chandigarh.
Hug
Sidhu says he hugged General Bajwa in an emotional moment
Sidhu had been slammed by the opposition and Punjab's CM for hugging Pakistan Army Chief General Bajwa.
Clarifying on the controversies, Sidhu said, "He (Bajwa) had told me that they were making efforts to open the corridor from India's Dera Baba Nanak to Kartarpur Sahib to facilitate the pilgrims to pay obeisance on the occasion of 550th 'Prakash Diwas' of Guru Nanak Dev ji."
Emotional reaction
Sidhu hurt over the criticism on the emotional reaction
"Without a thought, this thing (opening the corridor) said by General Bajwa was an emotional moment for me and the result (the hug) was for everyone to see. After that brief meeting in the gathering, I had no meeting with General Bajwa," Sidhu said.
Sidhu said, he, however, is disappointed and hurt over the criticism over this sudden meeting and emotional reaction.
Information
Many pilgrims want to pay obeisance at Kartarpur Sahib: Sidhu
Sidhu claimed that crores of pilgrims have always been waiting to pay obeisance at the holy Kartarpur Sahib, the place where Guru Nanak Dev Ji spent nearly 18 years of his life.