Indian Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Expresses Desire to Visit Lahore for World Punjabi Conference

Speaking in the Indian Punjab Assembly on Friday, Mann revealed that he had received an invitation to attend the conference in Lahore. He said he wanted to participate because the people on both sides of the border shared common roots, culture and challenges.

“Let me go to France or Japan first. They do not allow me to go there, so how will they let me travel to Pakistan?” Mann remarked, referring to the restrictions he faces on international travel.

A video of his remarks, shared on his official YouTube channel, has drawn attention on social media, with users from both countries describing his statement as a positive message despite the current chill in bilateral relations.

Relations between India and Pakistan have remained strained following a four-day conflict last year. Trade and diplomatic engagement between the two countries remain limited, while travellers seeking visas continue to face difficulties. The Kartarpur Corridor, a significant pilgrimage route for Sikhs, is also closed, according to the report.

During his address, Mann also called for the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor.

Assembly Members Ask Bhagwant Mann to Take Them Along

Mann mentioned the invitation while criticising India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and reciting verses by Pakistani Punjabi poet Tajammul Kaleem in the assembly.

After he finished reciting the poetry, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan told Mann that he had met Pakistani Punjabi poet Baba Najmi, who had conveyed his best wishes to the chief minister.

Mann said he had spoken to Baba Najmi and had received an invitation to attend the World Punjabi Conference in Lahore.

Emphasising the cultural ties between the two sides of Punjab, Mann said their people shared a common identity and should have opportunities to interact.

In response, Sandhwan said in Punjabi, “If you receive permission, take us along as well.” Several other lawmakers also voiced their support, with their reactions reflecting interest in the proposed visit.

Organisers Say Official Invitation From Punjab Government Could Help

The fourth World Punjabi Conference is scheduled for November 27, 28 and 29 in Lahore.

Chief organiser Ahmad Raza Punjabi told BBC Urdu journalist Zahir Mahmood that the annual event attracts members of the Sikh community from India, the United States, Canada and other countries.

He said he and Baba Najmi had tried to contact Mann this year. Baba Najmi subsequently spoke to the Indian Punjab chief minister by telephone and invited him to attend the conference.

According to Ahmad Raza Punjabi, Mann asked the organisers to send him a formal invitation and said he would explore the possibility of attending. He reportedly described Lahore as close to his heart and expressed a strong desire to visit.

The organisers also encouraged Mann to mention the conference in the assembly to draw international attention to the event.

Ahmad Raza Punjabi said the organisers had sent Mann an invitation, but added that an official invitation from the Punjab government in Pakistan would be necessary for the chief minister to visit the country.

He expressed hope that a positive response from the Pakistani Punjab government could help Mann obtain a visa.

The organiser also claimed that Pakistani visit visas were not currently being issued to Indian citizens, which was why invitations had not been extended to other people from India this year.

He recalled that large numbers of Indian participants had attended the first and second Punjabi conferences. According to him, Pakistan issued visas to 37 people for the second conference. However, worsening relations between India and Pakistan prevented participants from India from attending the third event.

Several well-known singers, actors and poets from Indian Punjab had attended previous editions, he added. This year, he said, participation from India might be limited to Sikh pilgrims already present in Pakistan on pilgrimage visas.

Social Media Reacts to Mann's Lahore Visit Remarks

Mann's expression of interest in visiting Lahore has prompted discussion on social media, with users highlighting the cultural links between the two sides of Punjab.

X user Mirza Imran welcomed the prospect of Mann visiting Pakistan and said Punjab's people and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz would welcome him with a message of peace and friendship.

Journalist Ajmal Jami commented on the applause in the Indian Punjab Assembly, saying it reflected the enthusiasm among lawmakers for a possible visit to Lahore.

Another user, Hussain Olakh, highlighted the chief minister's hope of attending the international Punjabi conference and the lawmakers' request to accompany him, adding that Lahore's invitation was prompting responses from across the border.

Mann's remarks have brought renewed attention to the role of shared language, culture and heritage in people-to-people engagement between India and Pakistan, even as official relations remain strained.