Pro-Khalistani leader Gopal Chawla seen with Pakistan army chief

At the Kartarpur Sahib inauguration, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke at length of imrpoving ties with India.

But at the same event, presence of Khalistani terrorist Gopal Chawla stood as testimony to Pakistan's sympathy for extremist forces active against India. Pakistan state broadcaster PTV beamed images of Chawla shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with Pakistan army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Chawla had in the past shared dais with Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, and openly advocated war against India.

At an event in Pakistan in August 2017 + , Chawla talked of using organisations like Milli Muslim League, a political front for Saeed's banned Jamaat ud Dawa, to 'get rid of India.'

Saeed is a UN-designated global terrorist with a bounty of $10 million on his head.

India has made it clear that participating in the Kartarpur initiative is not a change of its stand on Pakistan.

Army chief General Bipin Rawat, when asked about Chawla and Bajwa being seen together, said that the Kartarpur initiative should be seen in isolation.

Any dialogue with Pakistan would be possible only once Islamabad stops support for terrorist forces active against India, New Delhi has repeatedly said.

 timesofindia