Pakistan Would Consider Visa for Bhagwant Mann

Pakistan said it would consider issuing Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann a visa if he wishes to attend the World Punjabi Conference in Lahore, while noting that permission from the Indian government is a separate requirement for travel.

Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan gave the response during his weekly media briefing on Friday, November 6. He was answering a question about a possible visit by Mann, who leads the Aam Aadmi Party in India’s Punjab state. Khan said Pakistan would consider issuing a visa if Mann wished to visit, but said the decision on whether the Indian government would allow him to travel was separate.

The conference is scheduled for November 27 in Lahore. Mann said on October 23 that he had received an invitation and expressed uncertainty about whether he would be allowed to cross the border. He also referred to cultural ties between the two Punjabs and said poets from India would attend. The reports do not establish whether Mann has applied for a visa or plans to travel.

Mann has also proposed that members of the Punjab Legislative Assembly visit Kartarpur Sahib if the Kartarpur Corridor reopens. The corridor connects Dera Baba Nanak in...