Former PM Manmohan Singh has accepted Pakistan’s invitation and has decided to attend the inauguration of the Kartarpur Corridor on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. Earlier, it was reported that Dr Manmohan Singh's office has not received an invitation from Pakistan. Moreover, even if an invitation is extended, it will be sent to the Ministry of External Affairs as per protocol and future course of action will be decided, they said.
On September 30, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had said Islamabad would like to invite Dr. Manmohan Singh for the inauguration of Kartarpur Corridor.
"We would like to extend an invitation to former Indian PM Manmohan Singh for the inauguration function of Kartarpur Corridor. He also represents the Sikh community. We will also send him a formal invitation," news agency ANI quoted Mehmood Qureshi as saying.
Kartarpur Corridor is slated to be inaugurated on the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak in November.
"The Kartarpur corridor inauguration is a big programme and Pakistan is preparing for it in a big way. We have decided to invite India's former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to grace the event... We will send a formal letter to him soon. We are also very happy to receive the Sikh pilgrims who are coming to Kartarpur to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak," Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a video message.
He further said that Manmohan Singh has the religious faith and is highly respected in Pakistan and that is why Islamabad is inviting him.
The four-lane highway connecting the Zero Point of the Kartarpur corridor up to National Highway-354 is being constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Besides, a passenger terminal is also under construction.
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