Actor Anupam Kher on Tuesday claimed he was denied visa by Pakistan to attend a literary festival in Karachi. The Pakistan High Commission (PHC) in Delhi, however, said Kher never submitted any visa application in New Delhi.
Kher was one of the 18 Indians invited to the four-day event. The other 17 Indian participants, including Congress leader Salman Khurshid and actor Nandita Das, have been given visas.
“I am not angry, I am hurt, upset and somewhere wanting to know the reason. Out of 18 why was I singled out. It could be either because I am a Kashmiri Pandit, I am not playing a card of Kashmiri Pandit and trying to divide people, or because I’ve spoken about the issue of intolerance, taken a stand and have applauded my Prime Minister. Otherwise, there is no logical reason why the visa was denied to me. This has happened for the third time,” Kher said.
However, Pakistan Embassy spokesperson Manzoor Ali Memon said, “It may be clarified that PHC never received Kher’s visa application. So the question of issuing or denying him visa does not arise.”
The Embassy officials added that Kher should show proof that he has submitted visa application form before making such claims.
However, the organisers of the Karachi literature Festival (KlF) said they were advised by the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to tell Kher not to submit a visa application as he would not be issued one.
Rejecting PHC claims, Kher said that Pakistan’s Interior Ministry did not send a clearance for his visa even though the lit fest organisers pursued the matter vigorously with it. He added that he will have gone to PHC to complete visa formalities once the approval was given from Islamabad. Kher produced a series of e-mail communication with the KlF organisers about the visa issue, alleging that the PHC was trying to mislead on the issue.