New Delhi: Following furore over Anupam Kher being denied a visa by Islamabad, Pakistan finally complied by offering him a visa to Karachi but the actor has turned down the offer.
“Thank you Mr. @abasitpak1 for your call & offering me visa to visit Karachi. I appreciate it. Unfortunately i’ve given away those dates now,” Kher tweeted.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, earlier reiterated that Kher did not submit his documents like other participants, which is why he was denied the visa to attend the Karachi Literature Festival.
“I know Anupam Kher sahab. He is a great artist and we have great respect for him. But as it is universal practice, visa request is processed when visa application is received, not on the basis of an invitation letter from a visiting country,” Basit told ANI here.
“We wish that his office had submitted his visa documents as other participants did and got their visa on time. No visa application was submitted to us,” he added.
However, Kher flatly refused the claims and said that the Pakistan High Commission was lying.
“I am not angry with anyone. I am hurt and saddened…the organiser of the Karachi lit fest said that the government officials told her not to invite Anupam Kher. I don’t know why? I would request the Government of India to take up this matter (with Pakistan),” Kher told the media.
Kher, who was to attend the Karachi Literature Festival on February 5, was denied visa by Pakistan.
The actor was denied a Pakistani visa in May 2015 as well, when he wanted to visit the country to attend a literary festival in Lahore. (ANI)