Kartarpur corridor event: Will not tolerate conspiracies by Pak Army chief, says Amarinder Singh

Amritsar, Nov 26: In a stern warning to Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said Punjab will not tolerate any "conspiracies" by the neighbouring country and advised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to "control the Army and ISI" and "stop the attacks on Indian soil".

"I would like to ask Pakistan army chief Qamar Bajwa something, as a soldier. Which army teaches you to violate ceasefire and kill jawans on the other side? Which army teaches you to send people to attack Pathankot and Amritsar? This is cowardliness."

"Pakistan should be ashamed of the bloodshed [it is responsible for]. I condemn the killing of innocents by Pakistan." Captain Amarinder also cautioned, "I am warning you (the Pakistan army chief), we are also Punjabis, you will not be allowed to enter here and vitiate the atmosphere."

Referring to the grenade attack on the Nirankari Bhavan in Amritsar in which three people were killed, he said: "People were offering prayers in a village and grenades were hurled at them. Is it what is taught by the Army? It is cowardliness," said the 76-year-old Singh, himself an ex-Indian Army officer.

He said that it is common knowledge that it is the Army that calls the shots in Pakistan.

"We believe in peace and we are giving a message of peace from here. But, their generals should understand that we have a large Army and we are prepared. And this should not happen as nobody wants war. We all want to carry out development in a peaceful manner," he said.

Earlier, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Singh laid the foundation stone for the Kartarpur Sahib corridor, which will facilitate easy passage to Sikh pilgrims to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.

The decision to build the passage -- from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district to the International Border -- was taken by the Union Cabinet on November 22.

Kartarpur is located in Shakargarh in Narowal district of Pakistan's Punjab.

Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, had spent more than 18 years of his life there. The Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara is located on the banks of the Ravi river, about three-four km from the border in Pakistan.