Indian Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has expressed his desire to visit Pakistan to attend the 4th International Punjabi Conference in Lahore, questioning whether India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government would allow him to travel.

Speaking during a session of the Indian Punjab Assembly, Mann said Pakistani Punjabi poet Baba Najmi had invited him to attend the conference, scheduled for November 27 to 29 in Lahore.

“They do not even let me go to France or Japan. How will they let me go to Pakistan?” Mann said, criticising the BJP-led government.

He added that he wanted to visit Pakistan because people on both sides of the border shared common roots and faced similar challenges.

Mann Highlights Shared Punjabi Heritage

The chief minister stressed the importance of people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan. He pointed to their shared cultural heritage and common traditions as reasons to encourage greater interaction across the border.

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Indian Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan supported Mann’s wish to attend the conference. He suggested that Mann take fellow lawmakers to Pakistan if the authorities granted permission for the visit.

The proposed trip would bring attention to cultural ties between the two sides of Punjab, which share a language, literary traditions and historical connections.

Mann Calls for Kartarpur Corridor Reopening

Mann also called for the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor, a route connecting Dera Baba Nanak in Indian Punjab with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan.

The corridor allows Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the historic shrine associated with Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.

Indian authorities suspended the corridor on May 7, 2025, following the Pahalgam attack and rising tensions between India and Pakistan.

Mann’s remarks have renewed attention to cross-border cultural engagement and the future of links between the two regions. However, his proposed visit depends on the relevant authorities granting permission.