New Delhi/Chandigarh, Nov 14: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has signalled that any request for political clearance regarding Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s proposed visit to Pakistan will be strictly governed by India’s national foreign policy, particularly its firm stance following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Mann has been invited as the chief guest at the World Punjabi Conference in Lahore from November 27 to 29, while Pakistan’s Minister for Minority Affairs and PSGPC president Ramesh Singh Arora has also invited the Punjab Assembly Speaker and MLAs to visit Kartarpur Sahib and other Sikh religious sites.
Addressing queries on the invitations, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized adherence to national guidelines. “When it comes to relations with foreign countries, we have a national policy and expect everybody to abide by it. As far as political clearances for dignitaries visiting abroad are concerned, an assessment is made by this ministry, in line with its overall policy and processed accordingly,” he stated. Pointing to the security environment after the Pahalgam attack, Jaiswal noted that India’s position on Pakistan “should be amply clear to all as to where we stand”.
The issue highlights the Centre’s stringent scrutiny of foreign travel by state leaders. Earlier in August, the MEA had similarly withheld political clearance for Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s planned visit to the United States, stating at the time that his proposed programme was not considered appropriate for his official position.
