Bhagwant Mann Lahore visit: MEA says it expects ‘national policy’ to be followed, cites Pahalgam
Punjab's chief minister says he will seek clearance to attend the 27 to 29 November conference, and Pakistan says it would consider a visa.
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The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said it expects everybody to follow India’s national policy on relations with foreign countries, when asked whether Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will be cleared to travel to Pakistan, ETV Bharat reported, citing PTI. The Bhagwant Mann Lahore visit question arose after Mann was invited as chief guest to a Punjabi conference in the Pakistani city.
Political clearance: what the MEA said
Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the remarks at the ministry’s briefing. “When it comes to relations with foreign countries, we have a national policy and expect everybody to abide by it,” he said. On travel by office-bearers, he added: “As far as political clearances for dignitaries visiting abroad are concerned, an assessment is made by this ministry.”
Asked about Pakistan, Jaiswal said India’s position after the Pahalgam terror attack “should be amply clear to all”. The Tribune read the remarks as a sign that any decision on the visit would follow India’s Pakistan policy.
World Punjabi conference in Lahore: The invite
Mann was invited as chief guest to the conference, which runs from 27 to 29 November, according to The Tribune. India TV said he was asked to attend on 27 November, the opening day.
Mann said his office was preparing to ask the Centre formally for clearance. “We will wait for what they say. Political clearance has to be taken,” he said. He added: “Our culture is the same. Many poets from here will go there.”
Key numbers
- 27 to 29 November: the dates of the Lahore conference, per ETV Bharat.
- 27 November: the day Mann was invited to attend, per India TV.
- 7 May 2025: the date from which the Kartarpur corridor has been closed to pilgrims from the Indian side, per India TV.
Kartarpur corridor and Pakistan’s response: the background
The Kartarpur corridor links Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur. It has been shut from the Indian side since 7 May 2025, when India struck terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the Pahalgam attack, India TV reported. Mann has said he wants all Punjab Assembly legislators to visit Kartarpur Sahib if it reopens.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson, Sajjad Haider Khan, said Islamabad would consider issuing a visa to Mann if he wished to visit, according to India TV. The Tribune also reported that Pakistan’s Ramesh Singh Arora invited the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker and legislators to Sikh sites in Pakistan.
A recent precedent stands out. In August the MEA denied political clearance to Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s proposed US visit, saying only that the programme was not considered appropriate for his office and the visit’s purpose, The Tribune noted.
What happens next for the Bhagwant Mann Lahore visit
The reports do not say when the ministry will decide on the Bhagwant Mann Lahore visit. The conference opens on 27 November, so the Centre’s answer is due before then.
The reply shows how the Centre treats travel to Pakistan by state leaders after the Pahalgam attack, with the Kartarpur corridor still closed to Indian pilgrims. A decision before 27 November will show whether any exception is possible for a Punjab chief minister.