Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition today in which the petitioners state that Canada is home to the largest Punjabi diaspora in the world of nearly one million people, many of whom are of the Sikh faith. The current government neglected to include Punjab in its open skies agreement that covers direct flights between Canada and India. Amritsar is an important religious site, a major commercial and cultural hub and the second-largest city in Punjab. Therefore, petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to fix the open skies agreement and establish direct flights between Amritsar and Canada.
In the House of Commons on May 18th, 2023. See this statement in context.