FM Qureshi responds to furor over 'googly' remarks

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has strongly defended his comments that were met with anger from his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj and other minister of Modi government.

The foreign minister took to Twitter on Sunday to respond to criticism launched by  Indian government over his reference to cricket terminology googly in the wake of India's refusal to resume bilateral dialogue with Pakistan.

“Dragging my comment towards "Sikh sentiments" is a deliberate attempt to misrepresent & mislead. What I said was strictly with ref to bilateral interaction with the Indian Govt,” he wrote on Twitter.

“We have deep respect for Sikh sentiments and no amount of distortions or controversies would change it.”

FM Qureshi said that the Kartarpur border was opened in line with the long-standing desires of Sikh brethren.

“In deference to the long-standing desires of our Sikh brethren, we decided to open the Kartarpur Corridor. We have taken this historic initiative in good faith and will carry it forward in good faith,” he added.

Qureshi’s response came after Indian Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to take action against Foreign MinisterQureshi for "hurting sentiments of Sikhs."

She was the second Union Minister after Sushma Swaraj to hit out at Qureshi.

“I urge Pak PM Imran Khan to take action against his minister for hurting sentiments of Sikhs and peace efforts by equating attendance at the function at Sri Kartarpur Sahib with trapping India by bowling a googly. Nothing can be more disgusting than this,” Badal said in a series of tweets.

Badal’s remarks come days after Qureshi said Prime Minister Khan bowled a “googly” to ensure the Indian government’s presence at the groundbreaking ceremony of the landmark Kartarpur corridor.

“Imran delivered a googly and India sent two ministers to Pakistan,” FM Qureshi said.

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj ruled out the possibility of resumption of bilateral talks with Pakistan unless it stopped cross-border terror activities.

Badal also reminded Khan of his promise of commitment to peace and said no one should be allowed to play with religious sentiments. “Your (Imran Khan) commitment to peace shouldn’t be a hollow promise. Please walk the talk and take action against Mehmood Qureshi immediately for politicising religious issue to assuage hurt feelings of Sikhs,” the SAD leader said.

On Saturday, Swaraj too took exception to Qureshi’s comments, saying it “exposed” that Pakistan had no respect for Sikh sentiments.

“Mr Foreign Minister of Pakistan – Your ‘googly’ remarks in a dramatic manner has exposed none but YOU. This shows that you have no respect for Sikh sentiments. You only play ‘googlies’. Let me explain to you that we were not trapped by your ‘googlies’. Our two Sikh Ministers went to Kartarpur Sahib to offer prayers in the Holy Gurudwara,” she tweeted.