Imran Khan calls Navjot Singh Sidhu 'ambassador of peace'

Sidhu visited Pakistan to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Khan last week.

Khan said Sidhu was received with amazing love and affection by people of Pakistan.

"I want to thank Sidhu for coming to Pakistan for my oath taking. He was an ambassador of peace & was given amazing love & affection by ppl of Pakistan. Those in India who targeted him are doing a gt disservice to peace in the subcontinent - without peace our ppl cannot progress," Khan tweeted.

He said India and Pakistan should resolve their conflicts and move forward.

"To move forward Pakistan and India must dialogue and resolve their conflicts incl Kashmir: The best way to alleviate poverty and uplift the people of the subcontinent is to resolve our differences through dialogue and start trading," he said.

A sedition case has been filed against Congress leader and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for hugging Pakistan Army Chief General Bajwa at the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan as Pakistan’s Prime Minister, media reports said.

The sedition case has been filed by a lawyer in Bihar for insulting the Indian Army by hugging the Pakistan Army Chief.

Lawyer Sudhir Kumar Ojha alleged in his petition filed with Muzaffarpur’s chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Hari Prasad that Sidhu insulted the families of Indian soldiers killed by Pakistan’s army and terrorists sponsored by the country, said reports.

Ojha has requested the court to book Siddhu under IPC sections 124 A, 153 B and 504 for hurting the nation’s sentiments and order for his arrest.

He also said that Sidhu attended the ceremony in the neighbouring country when the nation was mourning former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's demise.

Sidhu has been widely criticised by several politicians for attending the oath-taking ceremony of Pakistan's new PM Imran Khan.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh clarified that he deeply disapproved such show of affection by Sidhu towards the Pakistan Army Chief.

"Every day our jawans are getting martyred. To hug their Chief General Bajwa... I am against this," Singh was quoted as saying to media.

Narrating the sequence of events to NDTV, Sidhu had said the three services chiefs of Pakistan had introduced themselves to the guests and the conversation with General Bajwa had started with small talk. 

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked Sidhu after he was seen present at other cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan's swearing-in ceremony.

Addressing a press conference, BJP spoksperson Sambit Patra had asked whether Sidhu took permission of the Congress party before attending the ceremony in Pakistan.

Patra had said: "Did Navjot Singh Sidhu take permission from the Congress Party before deciding to visit Pakistan to attend Imran Khan's oath taking ceremony?"

Criticising Sidhu for hugging Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Patra said the Congress party leaders embrace those people of Pakistan who escalates terrorist activities in India.

Patra had also asked whether Congress president Rahul Gandhi agrees with Sidhu's visit and if not, is he taking any step against his party leader.

"Are the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi agrees with Sidhu's activity and if not, is he going to take step against him or suspend him from the party?" the BJP leader had questioned.