New Delhi: Noted poet and film writer Javed Akhtar on Saturday said he would go to Pakistan only if he received an official invitation from the neighbouring country.
Akhtar is at the centre of a visa controversy where the Pakistani Government initially denied him permission to visit Karachi for Mughal-e-Azam premiere, but later cleared it.
"Only if I receive an official invitation from the Pakistani Prime Minister or President Musharraf will I consider going to the neighbouring country," Javed Akhtar said.
The noted poet described Pakistani Government's belated clearance to his visit as a case of Ab pachtaye hot kya jab chidiya chugh gayi khet. (What is the use of regretting now that the birds have eaten the harvest.)
"The clearance of the visa has no meaning now that Akbar Asif, who had organised the premiere of Mughal-e-Azam at Karachi, announced the cancellation of the event," Javed said.
"Moreover, all the 20 members of the delegation, including Shabana Azmi, Sridevi, Zeenat Aman, Saif Ali Khan and Urmila Matondkar have also expressed their unwillingness to go to Pakistan," he added.
Javed clarified that their purpose of going to Karachi was not commercial at all.
He said that their plan was to participate in a noble gesture on the part of Akbar Asif who wanted them to attend the premiere on Saturday and participate in a telethon on Television on Sunday to generate funds for the earthquake victims in Pakistan.
"Instead of appreciating the fact that top Bollywood stars like Saif and Urmila, who are extremely busy in their film assignments, readily agreed to participate in the charity event just on the call of Akbar Asif, and that too for free, the Pakistani authorities went ahead and withheld permission to a person who is heading the delegation," Javed said.
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