Imran Khan defends Navjot Sidhu as BJP questions Congress’ ‘love’ for Pakistan

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan jumped to the defence of former cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday, moments after the Congress leader held a press conference justifying his visit to the neighbouring country and a strong rebuttal by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Sidhu, who attended Imran Khan’s swearing-in ceremony in Islamabad on 18 August, triggered a major political storm in India after he embraced Pakistani Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and was seen sitting next to ‘president’ of Pak-occupied-Kashmir Masood Khan.

A case against Sidhu was filed in Varanasi on Tuesday. This is the second case against the former cricketer following a sedition case filed on Monday at a court in Bihar.

Batting in support of the minister in the Punjab government, Imran Khan said that the Indians who are targeting him are “doing a great disservice to the subcontinent”.

“I want to thank Sidhu for coming to Pakistan for my oath taking. He was an ambassador of peace and was given amazing love and affection by people of Pakistan,” wrote Khan.

“Those in India who targeted him are doing a great disservice to peace in the subcontinent – without peace our people cannot progress,” added the Pakistani Prime Minister.

“To move forward Pakistan and India must dialogue and resolve their conflicts including Kashmir: The best way to alleviate poverty and uplift the people of the subcontinent is to resolve our differences through dialogue and start trading,” he said.

I want to thank Sidhu for coming to Pakistan for my oath taking. He was an ambassador of peace & was given amazing love & affection by ppl of Pakistan. Those in India who targeted him are doing a gt disservice to peace in the subcontinent – without peace our ppl cannot progress

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 21, 2018

To move forward Pakistan and India must dialogue and resolve their conflicts incl Kashmir: The best way to alleviate poverty and uplift the people of the subcontinent is to resolve our differences through dialogue and start trading https://t.co/V2UkXp0WwS

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 21, 2018

As the deluge of criticism over his visit mounted, Sidhu held a press conference on Tuesday defending his decision to visit Pakistan and ‘hug’ General Bajwa.

He claimed that he was merely making a peace overture equating his visit to a peace effort akin to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s historic bus trip to Lahore.

“In the past also efforts for peace have been made. The late Vajpayee-ji had taken ‘dosti bus’ to Lahore, invited Musharraf. PM Modi invited Nawaz Sharif to oath-taking, he also went suddenly to Lahore,” he pointed out.

But Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh had strongly condemned Sidhu for embracing General Bajwa.

“Everyday our jawans are getting martyred. To hug their Chief General Bajwa…I am against this. The fact is that the man (Sidhu) should understand that our soldiers are being killed every day,” the 76-year-old Punjab Chief Minister said on Sunday.

“To say that ‘I don’t know General Bajwa’…it is written on his uniform. That’s wrong for him (Sidhu) to have shown the affections he did for the Pakistan Army Chief,” Singh added.

Reacting to the criticism by Punjab Chief Minister, Sidhu said that many other leaders from Congress have supported him and each has the right to speak as India is a democracy.

Sidhu also said that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had herself called to inform him that his request for visiting Pakistan had been granted.

“I received invitation 10 times. Then I sought permission from Indian government, I didn’t get permission and was waiting. Two days after Pakistan government gave visa, Sushma Swaraj ji herself called me and informed that I have been given permission,” he told reporters.

The BJP, however, continued to target him over the “insult” and demanded an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

“It’s sad that Navjot Sidhu has somewhat tried to implicate India in all this by saying Indians have small hearts. We condemn this. We want an answer on this not from Sidhu ji but from Rahul ji. Is Rahul ji trying to run a parallel Govt?” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said in a press conference.

“Granting of visa does not mean that you meet those who are busy plotting against your country and spreading terror,” he said responding to a question on approval of Sidhu’s visa.

The BJP also said that the Congress party has a section within the party which constantly tries to promote the interest of Pakistan in India.

“Is Congress running a Pakistan desk?” asked Patra.