Sushma asks Imran to clarify his FM’s ‘googly’ remark

NEW DELHI: The External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to clarify his Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s recent ‘googly’ comment. “I say the Pakistan PM must clarify his Foreign Minister’s comment saying Imran Khan threw a googly,” said Swaraj, while addressing a press conference in Jaipur on Saturday.

Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra had lambasted Pakistan government over Qureshi’s derogatory remarks. He said the apparent ‘googly’ played by Pakistan on Kartarpur Corridor has exposed the PM Imran Khan-led Pakistani government. “The usage of words like googly has exposed Pakistan. For us it is not a googly. Congress is so insensitive that it is doing politics on (Punjab Minister Navjot Singh) Sidhu’s faith. They could not even include the Kartarpur village in India at the time of partition,” Patra told reporters.

On Thursday, while lauding Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had said the former bowled a “googly” to ensure the Indian government’s presence at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor event. “Imran delivered a googly and India sent two ministers to Pakistan,” he said, using a cricketing term. A googly is a leg-spinner’s prize weapon, which is almost undetectable. Qureshi noted that it is the same Indian government that had said it will not engage with Pakistan. Notably, the Pak FM’s remarks came after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj ruled out the possibility of resumption of bilateral talks with Pakistan unless it stops cross-border terror activities against India.

Earlier, Pakistan had invited Swaraj for ground-breaking ceremony of Kartarpur Corridor. But Swaraj refused the invitation citing prior commitments. India was represented at the event by Union Ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri.