Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan rubbished his foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s ‘googly’ remarks on Monday, 3 December, saying the Kartarpur Corridor was a sincere effort to maintain good relations with India.
“The [ground-breaking] ceremony [of Kartarpur] was a peace initiative. It was a sincere effort. So was the invitation extended to the Indian ministers. It was not a googly for sure,” Khan told reporters, according to a report in India Today.
Qureshi had, on Thursday, 29 November, said that Khan, a former cricketer, had “delivered a googly” to ensure the Indian government’s presence at the ground-breaking ceremony.
Qureshi had added that it was the same Indian government which had said it will not engage with Pakistan but then did for the ground-breaking ceremony of Kartarpur Corridor.
Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had responded to ‘googly’ remark on Friday, 30 November, saying Pakistan should not use the Kartarpur Corridor issue and religion to fulfil its "evil designs" of spoiling the peaceful atmosphere in India and especially in Punjab.
"Going to Sri Kartarpur Sahib was a matter of faith for me. Indulging in one-upmanship on this sacred issue is uncalled for. No one was bowled over by any 'googly'. PM Modi and ministers have only respected sentiments of Sikhs by authoring and participating in this noble initiative," she said.
Badal said the people of Punjab have given their blood for their country and "will not allow peace to be disturbed".
"If you think you will be able to fulfil your evil designs by misusing our religion, you are mistaken. We are Guru Gobind Singh's children who know how to protect our country.
"My suggestion to you is that you do not use religion to fulfil your evil intentions. You should realise that its results would be bad and history is witness to it and Baba Nanak is there," she had said.
‘Dragging My Comment Towards Sikh Sentiments is Misleading,’ Says Qureshi
On Sunday, December 2, Qureshi defended his ‘googly’ remark saying linking his remarks to Sikh sentiments is misleading.
“Dragging my comment towards "Sikh sentiments" is a deliberate attempt to misrepresent and mislead. What I said was strictly with reference to bilateral interaction with the Indian Government,” he wrote on Twitter.
“We have deep respect for Sikh sentiments and no amount of distortions or controversies would change it.”Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pakistan Foreign Minister
Qureshi’s ‘googly’remarks came a day after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj categorically ruled out the possibility of resumption of bilateral talks with Pakistan unless it stops cross-border terror activities against India.
Pakistan had invited Swaraj for the ground-breaking ceremony on 28 November. Swaraj, however, said she was unable to travel to Kartarpur Sahib due to prior commitments. India was represented at the event by Badal and minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
(With inputs from PTI and India Today)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)