Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has been given political clearance by the government on November 7 to take part in the inauguration ceremony of Kartarpur Corridor on Saturday, official sources said.
Mr. Sidhu had sought permission of the External Affairs Ministry to attend the event following an invitation by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Political clearance has been granted to Sidhu to travel through the Kartarpur Sahib corridor on November 9, the sources said.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan said that it has issued a visa to Mr. Sidhu to attend the ceremony.
“Pakistan has issued visa to Indian politician Navjot Singh Sidhu for his visit to holy shrine of Baba Guru Nanak,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal announced during his weekly media briefing.
Mr. Sidhu has sought permission from the External Affairs Ministry to attend the ceremony.
He had come under fire from the Opposition after he hugged Pakistan Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa during the swearing-in ceremony of Mr. Khan in August 2018. Mr. Sidhu had then claimed that Gen. Bajwa had told him about “making efforts to open the Kartarpur Corridor”.
