Indian Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab Bhagwant Singh Mann has confirmed receiving an invitation to attend the World Punjabi Conference in Lahore on November 27, saying that he wants to visit the city but questioned whether the Indian government will grant him permission to travel to Pakistan.
Mann confirmed the invitation while speaking during a session of the Punjab Assembly on Friday. He said that the conference organisers had invited him to Lahore and offered to host him.
Referring to restrictions on foreign travel, Mann questioned whether he will receive permission to visit Pakistan, pointing to the Indian government’s restrictions on his visits to other countries.
“The World Punjabi Conference is being held in Lahore on November 27. The organisers invited me and said they will host me. But I told them that if the Indian government does not allow me to visit countries like France and Japan, how will it allow me to go to Pakistan,” Mann said.
Mann also referred to the shared culture between the two sides of Punjab, saying that poets and other people will travel to Lahore for the conference. He added that he also wanted to visit the city.
During the assembly session, the speaker addressed Mann and said that if he received permission to travel to Lahore, he should take other assembly members along with him.
Responding to the suggestion, Mann stated that he wanted all the members to visit Kartarpur.
