“Denied visa because I am a Kashmiri Pandit,” Anupam Kher

Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has reportedly denied a visa to actor Anupam Kher to attend Karachi Literature Festival, which is to be held on February 5.

Kher claimed that he has been singled out of the 18 delegates who applied for the visa. “I am very sad and disappointed that out of 18 participants, 17 were given visa and I was denied,” Kher told media in India. He later tweeted asking if his visa was cancelled because he has spoken about the tolerance debate in India or because he’s a Kashmiri Pandit.

However Pakistan High Commission has said Kher had not even applied for a visa.

“Anupam Kher has never submitted a visa application,” Pakistan high commission spokesperson Manzoor Ali Memon told Hindustan Times.

He added: “It may be clarified that the Pakistan high commission never received Mr Kher’s visa application. So the question of issuing or denying him visa does not arise.”

According to reports, Pakistani officials rejected the visa citing security reasons.

Kher, who has just been honoured with Padma Bhushan by the Indian government, was to participate in at least two sessions and his name figured prominently in the festival schedule.

Confirming that he has not been issued a visa, Kher said that he was very saddened by the development as he was looking forward to participate in the festival and use the platform to dispel misunderstandings in the minds of people there.

“We welcome their artistes in India. If there are objections to their performance at one place in India they are welcome at other places. But there is no reciprocity,” he said.

Kher said the visa denial has left the festival organisers embarrassed and they have apologised to him.