India again missed golden opportunity? Sushma swaraj will not visit Pakistan to attend Kartarpura ground-breaking ceremony
By:Asghar Ali Mubarak
India again missed a golden opportunity to resolves the disputed issues through dialogue among the two nuclear states which are pending for many years.On the historical occasion for the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, Indian External Affairs Minister H.E.Ms, Sushma Swaraj was invited to visit Pakistan by her counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on behalf of Pakistani Government. However as usual, citing busy schedule, Indian External Affairs Minister H.E.Ms, Sushma Swaraj has declined the event. Amid increasing signs of a thaw between the two neighbours, two Indian ministers will attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpura corridor in Pakistan. Prime Minister Imran Khan will perform the groundbreaking ceremony of the facilities on the Pakistani side of the border on November 28.Earlier on Saturday; Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi invited Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to visit the country to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpura corridor. Later in the evening, Sushma Swaraj said she will not visit Pakistan to attend the ground-breaking ceremony for the Kartarpura corridor but two of her cabinet colleagues will attend it, her office in New Delhi said.Thanking Mr Qureshi, Ms Swaraj said she will not be able to attend the ceremony because of prior commitments including campaigning for the Telangana Assembly elections. Indian ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri will travel to Pakistan instead.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed the hope that the Kartarpura corridor would act as a bridge between the peoples of India and Pakistan.A long-pending demand of the Sikh community to build a religious corridor linking a historic gurdwara in Pakistani city of Narowal with India’s border district of Gurdaspur may finally be fulfilled with both the countries announcing that stretches would be developed in their respective areas.Apart from Sushma Swaraj, Foreign Minister Qureshi also invited Indian Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh and cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to the ceremony.Tweeting under the hashtag #PakistanKartarpurSpirit, Qureshi said “On behalf of Pakistan I have extended an invitation to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj @SushmaSwaraj , Capt Amarinder Singh @capt_amarinder & Navjot Singh Sidhu @sherryontopp to attend the groundbreaking ceremony at #Kartarpura on 28 Nov, 2018.” “The world could see Pakistan’s positive approach towards India and its intentions,” Qureshi said.The foreign minister said Islamabad has decided to open the Kartarpura Corridor for the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak in 2019. The corridor opening is also reflective of the importance and primacy that Pakistan gives to all minorities, Qureshi said.He further said the move is in line with the principles of Islam and the Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of a peaceful neighbourhood. Pakistan’s initiative will further facilitate Sikhs, especially from India. Pakistan’s Kartarpura spirit can be a step forward in the right direction from conflict to cooperation, animosity to peace and enmity to friendship, he added.Speaking on the occasion of the birth anniversary of first Sikh Guru Nanak Dev in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoped the Kartarpura corridor would act as a bridge between the peoples of India and Pakistan that might lead to a better future as he referred to the fall of the Berlin Wall to underline the importance of people-to-people contact. The Indian prime minister also referred to the Partition and said, “What has happened in 1947 has happened.”He said the issues between the governments and the armies would continue and only time will show the way out. Underlining the strength of people-to-people contact, the Indian prime minister said, “Had anyone ever thought that the Berlin Wall would fall. Maybe with the blessings of Guru Nanak Devji, this Kartarpura corridor will not just remain a corridor, but act as a bridge between the peoples of the two countries.”Also on Saturday, Navjot Singh Sidhu confirmed receiving an invitation from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s office to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpura corridor in Pakistan. Speaking to Indian Express, Sidhu said, “I got a call from Pakistan Prime Minister’s office on Friday. It was the same person who had called me when I was invited for the swearing-in ceremony.”“I will go if the Government of India allows me to go. It will be a great honour to be part of history. There will not be a happier moment than the time when my turban touches the ground where Guru Nanak Dev once walked. It was an unfulfilled wish of my parents,” he added.When asked if he will attend the ceremony on the Indian side of the border on November 26th, the Indian Punjab local bodies minister said, “I will certainly go if I am invited.”The former cricketer has often spoken about the need for the two countries to have friendly relations. He visited the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Imran Khan in August 2018. During his visit, Sidhu also met with Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, which invited vicious criticism and attacks by hardliners in India.General Bajwa had told Sidhu that the Pakistan government will open the Dera Baba Nanak (Kartarpura) corridor on Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary. The former Indian cricketer had later raised the matter with Sushma Swaraj, saying it was India’s responsibility to make a formal request to Pakistan.Indian cabinet on Thursday last gave the go-ahead to Pakistan’s proposal to build Kartarpura corridor to facilitate Sikh pilgrims wishing to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Narowal District near the Indian border.The Indian Punjab Chief Minister Captain (r) Amarinder Singh has felicitated Punjab Assembly Speaker Ch Parvez Elahi on opening of Kartarpura corridor and invited him to visit Indian Punjab.His message was conveyed on phone to Ch Parvez by a Senior Minister Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi on Saturday. The PA speaker accepted Singh’s invitation. Parvez said that credit for opening of Kartarpura border goes to Prime Minister Imran Khan and COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa. He also invited Amarinder to visit Punjab.In 2005, on a special invitation by the then Punjab CM Ch Parvez Elahi, Amarinder had visited Lahore and had laid the foundation stone of Wagah to Nankana Sahib dual carriageway. Nankana Sahib was also given district status during Ch Parvez’s term as CM. It mentioned here that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party now ruling Pakistan is celebrating first 100 days of government, had in the past used very harsh language against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who had contested the 2013 elections on the promise of improving relations with India. “Modi ka yaar gaddar (Modi’s friend is a traitor)” was a theme that ran for almost the entire campaign period against Mr. Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the elections 2018. The PTI had accused the PML-N of establishing personal relations with Mr. Modi and doing personal business with him instead of promoting the national interests of Pakistan. The party had hit Mr. Sharif hard for Mr. Modi’s visit to Lahore in December 2015 and had blasted his government on an Indian businessman’s visit to Pakistan in April 2017.With the controversial elections of July 25, 2018 behind him, PM.Mr. Imran Khan turned the corner. His first informal acceptance speech offered the olive branch to India. “If India moves one step, we will move two,” Imran Khan said.Islamabad was rife with rumours that he wanted to invite Mr. Modi besides his friends in Bollywood and cricket friends for his oath-taking ceremony on August 18.Somehow Mr. Khan was prevented from inviting Mr. Modi, but one of his cricket buddies, Navjot Singh Sidhu, did turn up. While his seating arrangement and the japha (bear hug) with the Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, created quite a stir in India, Pakistan government circles were bullish on the offer to open the Kartarpur border crossing for Sikh pilgrims. While The New York Times even suggested that the Pakistani military had tried to reach out to the Indian side to discuss outstanding issues, a story never denied by the military, the very ambiguity created a positive atmosphere before the scheduled meeting between the top diplomats of both countries on September 27.All that changed on September 21, with the cancellation of the meeting that almost insulted the Pakistan PM. While the Pakistan Foreign Office and Mr. Qureshi expressed their disappointment, they stayed within the diplomatic ambit and did not attack the Indian side. Mr. Imran Khan on September 22nd 2018 stated without naming and chiding him as the small man holding a big office. As if that was not enough, the statement by the Indian Army Chief threatening Pakistan and the retaliatory statement by the Pakistan Army spokesperson has made the situation more toxic than the pre-election situation.
The India’s Cabinet had cleared a proposal Thursday to develop a corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district to the International Border to facilitate Indian pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan. In past and present for a better future Pakistan has always extended an olive branch to India for the resolution of problems and enhancing bilateral ties in an amicable manner, but the latter does not come out of its internal politics.This indian Indian government is facing pressure internally due to future elections. Pakistan sincerely wants resolution of all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, with India through negotiations on the dialogue table Pakistan always ready for talks, but India is reluctant in this regard. The dialogue is the only way forward to resolve all issues confronting the region. The world wants connectivity and promotes regional trade, but India is creating problems in this way. Pakistan wants peace but unfortunately India did not give positive response.It is need of the day that both sides sit together and hold talks for peace and stability in the region.More over the Kashmiri leaders once again demonds to restart a sustained and uninterrupted dialogue process to find solution to all issues, including Kashmir, and also asked the Centre to immediately take steps to restore a sense of security in the state. The Kashmiri leader’s s states that “Cancellation of the meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan scheduled in New York City is extremely unfortunate. On September 21, 2018 reacting to the Indian government decision of calling off the meeting, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi state that India has wasted an opportunity of peace by refusing a meeting between foreign ministers of Pakistan and India on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York.The Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said we can only wish India to come to the negotiating table, but we can neither pressurize anybody nor will accept the same for this purpose. In past on December 09th,2015 at the side line ‘Heart of Asia’ conference Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Pakistan. The Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was the first Indian minister who visited Pakistan since the BJP came to power and the tense bilateral relations became further stressed. In March 2015, Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar visited Islamabad as part of his tour of SAARC countries. Before Sushma Swaraj the last visit by any Indian external affairs minister to Pakistan was in September 2012 when S.M. Krishna came here for a ministerial review meeting of the bilateral peace dialogue and co-chairing a plenary session of the India-Pakistan Joint Commission. She in a joint press conference along with the prime minister’s adviser on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz stated “Instead of composite dialogues, now comprehensive dialogues will be held in which all outstanding issues will be discussed,” . The Pakistan is already assured the Indian side that the government is taking steps being to expedite the early conclusion of the Mumbai trials.
The dialogue process, which will start as soon as foreign secretaries agree on a schedule, will include matters related to peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wullar Barrage, Tulbul Navigation Project, economic and commercial cooperation, counter-terrorism, narcotics control and humanitarian issues, people to people exchanges and religious tourism.Indian External Affairs Minister H.E.Ms, Sushma Swaraj was also met the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference to discuss bilateral issues. At the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference in her speech, Swaraj focused on increased connectivity, regional trade and openness with Afghanistan, and also “extended India’s hand towards Pakistan” in this regard.”It is time we [Pakistan and India] display maturity and self confidence to do business with each other… the entire world is watching and we must not disappoint them,” she stated while addressing the ‘Heart of Asia’ conference.Last week the Pakistani foreign office Spokesperson Dr. Muhammad Faisal said that Pakistan’s policy of restraint should not be construed as weakness. Pakistan is open to hold dialogue with India but it should be a two way communication Pakistan is confident that this malicious propaganda will neither mislead the international community nor the discerning people in India itself.Replying to a question regarding recent Indian media reports that Ajmal Kassab was an Indian citizen, the spokesperson said such reports give further credence to the concerns already raised by several quarters in this context. Apart from Swaraj, Shah Mahmood Qureshi also invited Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to the ceremony.“On behalf of Pakistan I have extended an invitation to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj @SushmaSwaraj, Capt Amarinder Singh @capt_amarinder & Navjot Singh Sidhu @sherryontopp to attend the groundbreaking ceremony at #Kartarpura on 28 Nov, 2018,” Qureshi tweeted on Saturday.This was a long-pending demand of the prominent Sikh community to build a religious corridor linking India’s border district of Gurdaspur with a historic Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan may finally be fulfilled with both the nations announcing that stretches would be developed in their respective nations.The Pakistani Prime Minister Mr. Imran Khan will inaugurate the groundbreaking ceremony on the Pakistan side on November 28.
