Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 14: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has reiterated India's position on Pakistan after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann sought political clearance to attend an international conference in Lahore later this month.
During its bi-weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India follows a national policy in dealing with other countries and expects everyone to adhere to it.
"When it comes to relations with other countries, we have a national policy and we expect everyone to follow it," Jaiswal said.
He added that requests for political clearance for dignitaries travelling abroad are assessed by the Ministry in line with the government's overall policy.
"As far as our position on Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack is concerned, it should be amply clear to all as to where we stand," he said.
Mann had earlier said that his office was preparing to formally seek permission to attend the 4th International World Punjabi Conference scheduled to be held in Lahore from November 27 to 29. He said the visit would depend on the Centre's decision.
"Our culture is the same. Many poets from here will go there," Mann had said, while expressing uncertainty over whether he would be allowed to travel to Pakistan.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Pakistan would consider issuing a visa to Mann if he wished to visit the country.
The Punjab chief minister had also expressed a desire for all legislators of the Punjab Legislative Assembly to visit Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan if the Kartarpur Corridor reopened.
The corridor connects Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, a shrine associated with Guru Nanak Dev. It allows Indian pilgrims to visit the shrine without a Pakistani visa, subject to applicable arrangements.
Pilgrim movement through the corridor from the Indian side has remained suspended since May 7, 2025, following India's military strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the Pahalgam terror attack.