Eyebrows were raised on Wednesday when a prominent pro-Khalistan separatist leader was present at the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor and was also seen shaking hands with Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
When asked, a Pakistani official said, Gopal Singh Chawla is a senior leader of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandak Committee (PSGPC), and he was invited to all events involving the Sikh community.
Singh is the general secretary of the PSGPC and is known as a pro-Khalistan voice.
He was seen shaking hands with the Pakistan Army chief. Several other pro-Khalistan leaders were also present at the event.
“Indian media taking a myopic view is selectively showing Mr Gopal Singh meeting COAS. Army Chief met all guests at the venue irrespective of identity. A peace initiative should not be subjected to propaganda,” ISPR DG Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor tweeted.
Sources said Singh was instrumental in denying access to Indian High Commission officials to two gurdwaras in Pakistan a few days back.
The officials had gone to the gurdwaras to meet Indian pilgrims. India had slammed Pakistan for refusing access to the pilgrims.
Amid the euphoria of groundbreaking ceremony of Kartarpur corridor by Imran Khan, India has also dismissed remarks made by the Pakistani Prime Minister on Kashmir. New Delhi underlined that the Kartarpur corridor opening is a religious issue between the two countries and must not be given an overarching political context.
"It is deeply regrettable that the Prime Minister of Pakistan chose to politicise the pious occasion meant to realise the long-pending demand of the Sikh community to develop Kartarpur corridor by making unwarranted reference to Jammu and Kashmir which is an integral and inalienable part of India," said MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.