External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on late Saturday evening reacted strongly to the statement of her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi that Imran Khan bowled a “googly” to ensure the Indian government’s presence at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor. In a statement on Twitter, she said:
Mr.Foreign Minister of Pakistan - Your 'googly' remarks in a dramatic manner has exposed none but YOU. This shows that you have no respect for Sikh sentiments. You only play 'googlies'. /1
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 1, 2018
Let me explain to you that we were not trapped by your 'googlies'. Our two Sikh Ministers went to Kartarpur Sahib to offer prayers in the Holy Gurudwara. /2
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 1, 2018
India was represented at the events by Union ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri. On Thursday, Qureshi said that opening of the Kartarpur border was a “big achievement” of Imran Khan’s government, which completed the first 100 days in office after winning the general elections in Pakistan. “Imran delivered a googly and India sent two ministers to Pakistan,” he said. Qureshi noted that it was the same Indian government that had said it will not engage with Pakistan. He said a meeting with Indian counterpart Swaraj was fixed on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last year but it was cancelled by India. Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan is located across the river Ravi, about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine. It was established by Guru Nanak in 1522. The corridor will facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur. With inputs from PTI