Punjab CM Amarinder Singh warns Pakistan Army chief Qamar Bajwa, asks which Army teaches to violate ceasefire, kill jawans

GURDASPUR: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday issued a stern warning to Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Bajwa against violating ceasefire and vitiating the atmosphere in India. "I am warning you (Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Bajwa). We are also Punjabis, you will not be allowed to enter here and vitiate the atmosphere," the Punjab CM said.

Questioning the Pakistan Army Chief as a military man, Captain Singh referred to the act of violating ceasefire as cowardly. "Which Army teaches to violate ceasefire and kill jawans on the other side? Which Army teaches to send people to attack Pathankot and Amritsar? This is cowardness," he said while speaking at the ground laying ceremony of Kartapur corridor on Monday.

Amarinder Singh had on Sunday rejected Pakistan's invitation to attend the foundation ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor on November 28 on their soil. The Chief Minister cited continued terrorist attacks in Punjab and the killings of Indian soldiers by Pakistani armed forces as the reason for his refusal to attend the event.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had extended an invite to him to visit Pakistan. Along with the Punjab CM, Pakistan had also sent invites to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu. 

While Sushma Swaraj rejected the offer, Sidhu accepted the invite and is awaiting a nod from the External Affairs Ministry to travel to Pakistan. This will be Sidhu's second visit to Pakistan this year after he attended the oath ceremony of Pakistan PM Imran Khan in Islamabad.

Sushma Swaraj had told Pakistan that Union Ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri will travel for the groundbreaking ceremony.