Will Give a Strong Reply When Needed, Says Navjot Sidhu Facing Flak on Hugging Pak Army Chief

Sidhu was among the special guests present at the oath-taking ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (the President House) in Islamabad on the invitation of Imran.

Facing ire for embracing the Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa during the oath-taking ceremony of prime minister Imran Khan, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday said that he was prepared to give a strong reply to all when needed.

“Whenever the reply has to be given, I will give and I will give it to all… It will be a strong reply,” Sidhu, the only Indian to attend Imran Khan’s swearing-in ceremony as Pakistan’s prime minister, said here.

His comments come after Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had yesterday ticked off his cabinet colleague for hugging Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. “I think it was wrong for him (Sidhu) to have shown the affection he did for the Pakistan Army chief, I am not in its favour… The fact is that the man (Sidhu) should understand that our soldiers are being killed everyday. My own regiment lost one major and two jawans a few months ago,” Amarinder had said.

Meanwhile, a case of sedition was filed against Sidhu in a Bihar court on Monday for hugging the Pakistan Army chief during his visit to Pakistan.

Lawyer Sudhur Ojha filed the case in Muzaffarpur’s Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court.

Ojha said he has filed the case under Indian Penal Case sections involving sedition. In his complaint, he said Sidhu’s gesture hurt the people of the country.

On his return from Pakistan yesterday, Sidhu had defended his action, asking what was he supposed to do when someone tells him that “we belong to the same culture” and talks of opening the route to the historic Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and ousted Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira today defended Sidhu, saying the minister had done nothing wrong.

“@sherryontopp has done nothing wrong by hugging Pak army chief, its d way Pbi’s meet! I demand opening of corridor to Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib. I also demand of opening of Indo-Pak border that’ll immensely boost Pb’s economy. There’s no ill will between ppl its fight between govt’s,” Khaira tweeted.

Sidhu was among the special guests present at the oath-taking ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (the President House) in Islamabad on the invitation of Imran.

(With PTI inputs)