Pakistan embarrasses Navjot Singh Sidhu over Kartarpur corridor, says 'No official talks with India'

New Delhi, Sep 19: In what could be a big embarrassment for Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, the Imran Khan government on Wednesday said that there was no official word with India on the opening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor for Sikh pilgrims.

The confirmation was given by Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal during his weekly press briefing in Islamabad.

On Monday, Sidhu met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and urged her to help initiate dialogue with Pakistan on the opening up of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor.

After returning from Imran Khan's swearing-in ceremony, where Sidhu hugged Pakistan's Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, Sidhu had claimed that the latter had promised him to open the corridor to the shrine before the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

However, Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had on Tuesday said that there was no substance in Sidhu's claims.

Sidhu described the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara as Sikhs' "own Mecca" and added that it's Centre's responsibility to make a formal request for opening the Kartarpur Sahib corridor.