Akhtar was to lead an Indian delegation to attend the Karachi premiere of K Asif's magnum opus 'Mughal-e-Azam' on Saturday.
MUMBAI: Javed Akhtar, who was granted a visa to visit Pakistan following the uproar provoked by the initial rejection, has asserted that he will tour the country only if its highest authority issues an apology. Akhtar was to lead a 50-member Indian delegation of prominent actors to attend the Karachi premiere of K Asif's magnum opus Mughal-e-Azam on Saturday.
"I fail to understand why I was denied the visa in the first place. Yes, if somebody at the highest level apologises, I will think about going," Akhtar said.
Meanwhile, Akbar Asif — the London-based organiser of the tour — who had cancelled the event after the visa drama, has indicated that he would go by Akhtar's decision about the tour.
“There was no question of going to Pakistan without Javed Akhtar," Asif said in a statement. "The idea of organising the premiere of Mughal-e-Azam in Pakistan was to fulfill my father's dream." The legendary K Asif had always wanted his film to be screened in Pakistan.
A visibly upset Akhtar said, "Pakistan authorities cleared my visa as an afterthought. The event was called off on Friday afternoon and they took the decision to issue a visa late in the night. They wanted to hide their embarrassment as media had started questioning them."
Organisers maintained that Pakistan High Commission did not offer any reasons for denying a visa to Akhtar.
Now, Pakistan's political machinery has launched a belated damage-control exercise. Pakistani Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah said that Akhtar was first man in the Indian delegation to whom the visa had been issued. The secretary said that there was no government instruction to deprive Akhtar of the visa facility.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}