Border ceremony: Sushma Swaraj turns down Qureshi's invitation
Last updated on: 24 November,2018 10:36 pm
Swaraj cited that she couldn’t attend the ceremony due to ‘election duties’.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday turned down invitation of his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmoom Qureshi to attend groundbreaking ceremony of Kartarpur border crossing.
As per details garnered, Swaraj cited that she couldn’t attend the ceremony due to ‘election duties’.
She said, "I thank HE Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Foreign Minister of Pakistan for inviting me to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor on the Pakistan side of the International boundary on 28 November 2018.
Since I am unable to travel to Kartarpur Sahib on the scheduled date, Government of India will be represented by my esteemed colleagues Mrs.Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Mr.H.S.Puri.
We hope that the Government of Pakistan will expedite construction of the corridor in order to ensure that our citizens can pay their respects at the Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib using the corridor as soon as possible."
Earlier, Pakistan’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi invited his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj to the groundbreaking ceremony of Kartarpur border crossing between India and Pakistan.
As per details, the ceremony will be held on November 28.
Qureshi also extended invitation to Chief Minister of India s Punjab province Amarinder Singh and former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu to the ceremony.
India on Thursday gave the go-ahead to Pakistan’s proposal to build Kartarpur corridor to facilitate Sikh pilgrims wishing to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Narowal District near the Indian border.