Pak Visa Controversy: Now Anupam Kher Declines Invitation

After Anupam Kher expressed his disappointment over not being granted visa to attent Karachi Literature Festival, Pakistan's high commissioner Abdul Basit invited the veteran actor over telephone and offered him the visa to travel. However, Anupam Kher refused to let the bygones be bygones. Kher declined the offer saying that now he has taken up some assignments for the dates.

Thank you Mr. @abasitpak1 for your call & offering me visa to visit Karachi. I appreciate it. Unfortunately i've given away those dates now.

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) February 3, 2016

Dear @abasitpak1, Reality remains that Pak Interior Ministry refused to grant NOC for my visa. 17 others invited also didn't apply for visa.

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) February 2, 2016

Anupam Kher has been disappointed with that fact that out of 18 delegates who applied for the visa only he was denied of it. “Has my visa been denied because I speak about India's rich tradition of tolerance or I am a Kashmiri Pandit who may expose the Pakistan terror nexus? This has happened for the third time”, he had questioned, adding, “I am not angry, I am hurt, upset and somewhere wanting to know the reason. Out of 18 why only I was singled out”.

While several reports suggested that Kher's application was rejected by Pakistani officials citing security reasons, Pakistan’s high commission, then, said that they didn't  receive  any application from the Bollywood actor and further claimed that he did not apply for it. Spokesperson Manzoor Ali Memon of the commission had said in a statement, “He has not submitted a visa application. Please check from him if he has any receipt”. 

Source: thehindu.com