The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said India has a "national policy" on Pakistan and expects everyone to follow it, after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said he would seek the Centre's clearance to attend a conference in Lahore later this month. The remarks came at the MEA's regular briefing on Friday, 13 November 2026.

What Mann has been invited to

Mann has been invited to be the chief guest at the opening of the 4th International Punjabi Conference in Lahore. Times of India reports that the three-day event is scheduled for 27 to 29 November. Indian Express says the opening is at 11 am on 27 November at the Punjab Institute of Language, Art & Culture (PILAC) in Lahore, and that the invitation was sent by Punjabi Parchar, a cultural and advocacy organisation, with Pakistani Punjabi poet Baba Najmi among its signatories.

Mann confirmed the invitation in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. The issue was first raised in the Assembly on 23 October, according to Indian Express. Speaking to reporters, Mann said his office was completing the paperwork to formally seek clearance, adding: "We will wait for what they say. Political clearance has to be taken."

What the MEA said

Asked about the invitation, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal did not say yes or no. He said: "When it comes to relations with foreign countries, we have a national policy and expect everybody to abide by it." On clearances for dignitaries travelling abroad, he said the ministry makes an assessment in line with its overall policy and processes requests accordingly.

He then added a pointed line on Pakistan: "As far as our position on Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack is concerned, it should be amply clear to all as to where we stand." Indian Express links this to India's policy after Operation Sindoor.

Why clearance is needed

Under rules followed by the Centre, chief ministers, state ministers and state government officials must get prior political clearance from the MEA before an official or private visit abroad. Times of India notes that this applies especially to sensitive destinations such as Pakistan.

Indian Express reports that the Centre has denied Mann clearance for several earlier overseas trips, so the Punjab government is being cautious and is waiting for a formal invitation from Pakistan before making any travel plans. In the Assembly, Mann said, "They do not even let me go to France or Japan. How will they let me go to Pakistan?"

The Kartarpur angle

Mann has also pushed for the reopening of the Kartarpur Corridor. He suggested that a delegation of Punjab legislators from all parties could travel with him to visit Sikh shrines across the border, including Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur and Nankana Sahib, if the corridor is reopened.

The corridor, which gives Indian pilgrims visa-free access to Kartarpur Sahib, remains suspended. Times of India says cross-border transit mechanisms, including the corridor, were suspended by New Delhi after the Pahalgam terror attack and the deterioration in India-Pakistan relations.

What this means

The MEA did not name Mann or reject his request in so many words, but its statement leaves little room for optimism. Politically, the episode matters in Punjab, where the Assembly discussion showed cross-party interest in Sikh pilgrimage sites in Pakistan, and where the state government often wants a say in matters that touch Punjabi culture and Sikh religious sentiment. At the same time, the Centre insists that foreign policy, especially towards Pakistan, is set in Delhi.

What to watch next

The key date is 27 November. Mann's office is still to submit the formal request, and Punjab is waiting for a formal invitation from the Pakistani side. If the MEA does not clear the visit, the chief minister will have to skip the conference or send someone else, which would have to be cleared too. Any decision on the Kartarpur Corridor would be a separate matter and has not been signalled in the MEA's remarks.