Pulwama attack: Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar pull out of Karachi Arts Council event
Azmi called for a halt on cultural exchanges between India and Pakistan while condemning the ‘dastardly’ attack.
Actor Shabana Azmi and her husband lyricist Javed Akhtar on Friday said they have decided to not attend poet Kaifi Azmi’s birth centenary celebrations in Pakistan’s Karachi in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack. The couple were invited by the Karachi Arts Council for the two-day event.
“I appreciate that our hosts the Karachi Arts Council mutually agreed with us to cancel the event at the nth hour in the wake of Pulwama attack,” Azmi tweeted on Friday.
Azmi condemned the attack, terming it “dastardly” and called for a halt on cultural exchanges between India and Pakistan. “There is no way we can carry on with cultural exchanges between India and Pakistan even as our martyrs are laying down their lives for us,” Azmi said.
Azmi said there was a difference between the Pakistani establishment and the people of Pakistan. “On both sides of d [the] border stand sisters n brothers divided by circumstances with which they had nothing 2 [to] do,” she said.
Akhtar, who had penned the CRPF anthem launched in 2014, said he shared a special relation with the force. “I have written their anthem, before putting the pen to paper I met a number of CRPF officers and whatever I learned, my respect, admiration and love for these braves increased by many a fold,” he said. “Today I share the grief of the dear ones of the martyrs.”
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@Javedakhtarjadu and I were invited for a 2 day event celebrating Kaifi’s Centenary and were truly looking forward to it. I appreciate that our hosts the Karachi Arts Council mutually agreed to cancel the event at the nth hour in the wake of Pulwama attack.
— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) February 15, 2019
I am filled with pain and grief and all else ..by the dastardly #Pulwama attack . For the 1st time in all these years I feel weakened in my belief that people to people contact can force the Establishment to do the right thing.We will need to call halt to cultural exchange
— Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) February 15, 2019
I have a special relation with CRPF. I have written Their anthem Before putting the pen to paper I met a number of CRPF officers n what ever I learned my respect admiration and love for these braves increased by many a fold Today I share the grief of the dear ones of the martyrs
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) February 14, 2019
