Pakistan’s high commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, called up Anupam Kher on Tuesday and offered him a visa to travel to Karachi, after the Bollywood actor said he was denied one.
Kher, though, declined the offer, saying he’s already taken up other assignments on the dates that he had planned to visit Pakistan to attend the Karachi Literary Festival for which he’d been invited.
Kher had said on Tuesday he was the only one of 18 people denied permission to attend the Karachi event. The actor suggested that the decision may have been influenced by his stand on the issue of Kashmiri Pandits and his support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“@AnupamPkher you are always welcome Sir. You are a great artiste; we respect and admire you”, Basit tweeted.
Replying to him, Kher tweeted, “Thank you Mr. @abasitpak1 for your call & offering me visa to visit Karachi. I appreciate it. Unfortunately I’ve given away those dates now.”
The Pakistan high commission in Delhi had said Kher had never submitted a visa application and so the question of issuing or denying him a visa did not arise.
In a tweet on Tuesday night, the Pakistani envoy had said, “@AnupamPkher sorry Sir I don’t know who told you about this so-called NoC, we are still to receive your visa application and passport.”
Ameena Syed, the spokesperson for KLF, said in Karachi that the organizers had been advised by the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi to tell Kher not to submit a visa application as he would not be issued a visa.
“Dear @abasitpak1, Reality remains that Pak Interior Ministry refused to grant NOC for my visa. 17 others invited also didn’t apply for visa,” Kher said in a tweet on Tuesday night.
Taking a dig at Anupam Kher over visa issue, the Congress on Wednesday said if the “poster boy” of “tolerant” India is so keen to go Pakistan, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi can talk to his “friend” Nawaz Sharif to facilitate the visit.
“If the #posterboyof “tolerant” India is so keen to go to Pak his friend PM Modi can surely talk to his drop by friend Nawaz & facilitate it?, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said in a tweet.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh also questioned the uproar by Mr. Kher over the denial of visa, asking if it is not mandatory for an individual to file for a visa application.
“Anupam Kher has himself confessed that he hasn’t filed an application in Pakistan Embassy. Then Arnab (Goswami) and Anupam what is the fuss about?(sic), Mr. Singh tweeted.
