Indian Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has expressed a strong desire to travel to Pakistan to attend the 4th International Punjabi Conference in Lahore, while openly questioning whether the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in New Delhi would grant him permission to make the cross-border trip.
Speaking during a session of the Indian Punjab Assembly, Mann revealed that he had received an invitation from Pakistani Punjabi poet Baba Najmi to attend the conference, which is scheduled to be held in Lahore from November 27 to 29.
Mann Questions BJP Government’s Stance
In a pointed remark directed at the BJP-led federal government, Mann expressed scepticism about receiving clearance for the visit.
“They do not even let me go to France or Japan. How will they let me go to Pakistan?” Mann said, taking a swipe at the central government’s restrictions on his foreign travel.
The chief minister emphasised that his interest in visiting Pakistan stemmed from the shared cultural and historical roots of people on both sides of the border, who he said face similar challenges.
Shared Heritage and Cross-Border Ties
Mann stressed the importance of people-to-people interaction across the border, citing the common cultural heritage that binds the Punjabi communities of India and Pakistan.
Supporting Mann’s wish, Indian Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan urged the chief minister to take fellow lawmakers along to Pakistan if permission for the visit was granted.
Call to Reopen Kartarpur Corridor
During the assembly session, Mann also called for the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor, which connects Dera Baba Nanak in India’s Punjab to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan.
The corridor, a key religious passage for Sikh pilgrims, was suspended indefinitely by Indian authorities on May 7, 2025, following the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent escalation of tensions between the two countries.
The chief minister’s remarks come amid continued strain in India-Pakistan relations, with the status of cross-border initiatives and diplomatic engagements remaining uncertain.
