Front Page

Visa issued, cancelled: Javed Akhtar

Special Correspondent

Not an issue of delay but one of denial

Javed Akhtar

Advertisement

NEW DELHI: Poet-scriptwriter Javed Akhtar on Saturday said he was issued a visa for Pakistan on June 20 but it was cancelled two days later. This was not an issue of delay by the Pakistan High Commission but one of visa denial, he pointed out.

Mr. Akhtar told this correspondent by telephone from Mumbai the High Commission was now backtracking after the Indian media took up the visa cancellation in a big way.

He said a group visa was issued to him and 20 others, including Saif Ali Khan, Shabana Azmi, Sridevi and Urmila Matondkar, to travel to Karachi for a Bollywood fund-raiser for the October 2005 earthquake victims.

On June 22, another visa was issued but his name was missing. All others were given permission to travel to Karachi. The writer said he raised the issue with top High Commission officials and they asked for "a day" to sort out the problem.

After waiting for visa, Akbar Asif, son of film director K.A. Asif and an organiser of the show, announced in Karachi on Friday that the June 25 event was being postponed as Mr. Akhtar had been denied a visa.

Mr. Akhtar said he was not going to make money in Karachi but going there for a good cause. "And, is this what I get in response?"

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu