Former Punjab chief minister and state Congress chief Amarinder Singh also mentioned about his visit to Pakistan when he was the Chief Minister. (Press Trust of India file photo)
Congress may have been critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lahore visit, but its senior leader Amarinder Singh today appeared reluctant to toe the line saying that he was "all for peace" between the two nations and had too visited Pakistan as chief minister.
"I am all for peace and have always maintained peace," Mr Amarinder Singh said in Chandigarh while addressing media. He was asked about PM Modi's "unscheduled" visit to Pakistan yesterday.
The former Punjab chief minister and state Congress chief also mentioned about his visit to Pakistan when he was the Chief Minister.
"When I was CM, Indo-Pak games were held. 4,500 visas were issued for a cricket match here," he said.
"During my visit to Pakistan, I had met Pervez Elahi who was the then CM (of Pakistan's Punjab). We decided to start exchange of doctors, students etc," he said.
"All of us are interested in peace... I am a solider, every day when I see a picture of soldier's coffin coming down...," said Mr Singh .
He said, "if borders are opened trade will improve and it is in the interest of Punjab."
However, he said it is for the AICC to make a comment on PM Modi's visit to Pakistan. "On Modi's visit it is for the AICC to comment and they have commented and they will comment more," he said.
Meanwhile, while reacting to PM Modi's visit, former Union minister Manish Tewari said the manner in which it was attempted will "undermine country's national security".
"Captain (Amarinder) has rightly said that you need to make a distinction between the desire to normalise relations with Pakistan and the manner in which you want to do. It the manner in which Prime Minister is attempting to do it is undermining India's national security, it is undermining our strategic interest," Mr Tewari said.
"PM needs to tell people what really has changed between India and Pakistan. Have they (Pakistan) decided to handover Dawood Ibrahim to you... have they decided to expedite 26/11 trial...," he said.