India has no problem in issuing visas to Pakistani artistes, a Union Home Ministry official said the other day.
“Government of India has no problem in giving visa to any Pakistani artiste,” a Home Ministry official told Indian media.
“We have no problem in granting visas. If a person applies for a visa and he fulfils the conditions, he gets it. It’s not that we don’t have to issue a visa to Pakistani nationals,” he added.
Terrorism is being used as state policy by some nations and the world must unite against it, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.
“Some nations are using terror as their state policy. Those nations must be isolated,” Rajnath Singh said at the All India Christian Council (AICC) meet here, hinting at Pakistan without naming it. Terming India as the “university of tolerance”, Rajnath Singh said: “Terrorism has no religion; still some people try to link the two.”
The Minister said India was a secular state and there should not be any discrimination on the basis of religion.
The statement comes after the Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India on Friday announced it will not allow the release of films with Pakistani artistes in single screens in Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat.
The decision comes ahead of the scheduled release of Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which stars Pakistani actor Fawad Khan.
While it was slated to hit the screens on October 28, the COEAI decision has cast doubts if it will see the light of the day anytime soon. COEAI President Nitin Datar said after a meeting of members: “It was decided that keeping in mind the patriotic feelings and national interest, we have requested all member exhibitors to refrain from screening movies which have involvement of any Pakistani artist, technician, director or music director.
In wake of the 18 September terror attack on an army camp in Jammu and Kashmir, that left 19 Indian soldiers dead, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena told Pakistani artistes to quit India and threatened action against films like Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Raees, which have Pakistani artistes in them.
Subsequently, the Indian Motion Picture Producer Association said it has passed a resolution urging Indian filmmakers to avoid working with Pakistani artistes until bilateral tensions between the two countries subside.
