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Karachi Arts Council condemns Javed Akhtar for statements 'attacking Pakistan'

Karachi Arts Council condemns Javed Akhtar for statements 'attacking Pakistan'

President of the council Ahmed Shah said Mr Akhtar “crossed the line” with his post on the Pulwama attack
Updated 17 Feb, 2019

Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi on Saturday regretted the decision of veteran Indian actress Shabana Azmi and her lyricist-writer husband, Javed Akhtar, to cancel their visit to the metropolis to mark the centenary celebrations of her father Kaifi Azmi’s birth following the Pulwama attack.

Speaking at a press conference here, Arts Council president Ahmed Shah condemned Mr Akhtar saying the way he attacked Pakistan and “crossed the line” did not seem appropriate for a literary person.

Also read: Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar cancel Karachi visit after Pulwama attack

“I feel sorry for Shabana Azmi that she has lost hope,” he said. “I don’t criticise her but we deeply feel saddened the way she had expressed disappointment after Pulwama attack. We firmly believe that artists and people who are regarded for their literary and art contribution are the ones who give hope to people. They never disappoint them. But this time Shabana Azmi sounds extremely disappointed.”

The Arts Council is organising a conference to mark 100th birth anniversary of poet Kaifi Azmi on Feb 23 and 24. Many celebrated poets and literary personalities from Pakistan and other parts of the world have been invited for the event, including Ms Azmi and Mr Akhtar who earlier this month confirmed their visit to the city to attend the two-day event.

However on Friday, the couple in their separate tweets announced their decision to cancel their planned visit following the 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,” said Ms Azmi in one of her tweets.

The reaction from her husband was even harsher.

The Arts Council office-bearers not only condemned his stance but also questioned him on other episodes of brutalities in India-held Kashmir.

“Javed Akhtar should have courage to denounce his prime minister Modi’s atrocities in held Kashmir where every day innocent people are killed by security forces,” said Mr Shah. “We respect everyone’s thoughts and regard his or her right to express them. But I refuse to take this [thoughts shared by Mr Akhtar over Indian media] on my country or any country. You cannot attack the land of over 200 million people who love peace. You cannot link any individual’s act with the ideology of majority of peace-loving people.”

He said the Arts Council respected the wish of Ms Azmi and had started a project to launch an album consisting of progressive poetry work of Kaifi Azmi. For that, six of total nine compositions had been prepared by musician Arshad Mehmud, which reflected unbiased and art-loving attitude of the Pakistani people, he added.


Originally published in Dawn, February 17th, 2019

Comments

Nadeem Feb 17, 2019 11:58am
Thay have to give diplomatic statement for their security, otherwise shiv sehna will be after them
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Mamnoon Feb 17, 2019 12:20pm
To survive in Modi's India, that is the only option for JA!
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MUZAFFAR QURESHI Feb 17, 2019 12:56pm
I sympathise with Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar. In the circumstances. they have no option. You will recall that Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar declined the invitation to Imran Khan' oath taking ceremony. Navjet Singh Siddhu, who mustered the courage to visit nevertheless, had to face the wrath orchestrated by BJP and RSS.
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Alba Feb 17, 2019 01:46pm
Two otherwise intelligent people bought the lie their government told.
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Sahil Feb 17, 2019 01:48pm
These are commercial times. These artists need to sing the tunes which are harmonious with political settings in order to prolong a secure future. Regrettable but justifiable.
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SS Feb 17, 2019 01:54pm
Javed Akhter is a Muslim who tries his best to appease his Hindu fellow countreymen in order to survive in Modi's India which is becoming bigoted and intolerant by the day, so what Javed Akhter says should not be taken seriously.
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Mr. Kolkata Feb 17, 2019 01:56pm
Good job! you are our real heroes!
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parveez shafi Feb 17, 2019 02:17pm
They have to live in India and they have to please the Indian public. In India today you can not say what you feel in your hart, but say what the public wants to hear.I am sorry but people in Bollywood have no choice. No a single bolllywood criticize the killing of Kashmiris, because they need to sell their films. It's time we have no relationship with India until it comes off its high horse.
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Ds dude Feb 17, 2019 02:40pm
Let's never invite these two back again please. They're not worthy of the respect we've been heaping upon them.
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Fahad Feb 17, 2019 02:40pm
Why you called them. Are they that important?
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Zahoor Ahmed Feb 17, 2019 04:04pm
Who cares....
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Changez Khan Feb 17, 2019 04:15pm
Anybody who makes derogatory remarks about Pakistan must be barred from entering into Pakistan.
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AB Feb 17, 2019 04:59pm
Mr Akhter and wife are in no position to condemn Modi nor speak about the atrocities in IHK.
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Bongo Feb 17, 2019 05:03pm
Afterall they need to live in India. Hence, such statements.
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Azhar Hussain Feb 17, 2019 05:23pm
Why are we surprised?
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Umair Farooqi Feb 17, 2019 05:54pm
Stop inviting them.
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isha Feb 17, 2019 06:38pm
now start celebrating your own literary people and invite guests from others country
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Dude Feb 17, 2019 06:40pm
No worries. We understand your majbooree.
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Mariam Feb 17, 2019 07:31pm
Why are you surprised ? Read all his reactions in the past when has he ever glorified Pakistan . Pls stop !!! Stop wasting your time on them and news space
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Saleem Feb 17, 2019 07:39pm
Befitting reply
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Syed Feb 17, 2019 07:53pm
Good reality check for you guys.
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Krishnaprasad Rao Feb 17, 2019 08:22pm
It is sad that respected people like Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar have to go through this. In their country, they are condemned if they dont express outrage and in the neighboring country, they are condemned for precisely doing so. It is a lose-lose situation for them. They are patriotic and good human beings and hope people put themselves in their shoes before judging them
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Jalaluddin S. Hussain Feb 17, 2019 08:28pm
Art cannot be separated from life. Faiz and Kaifi wanted Art to honour lives. They did and we should too!
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AXH Feb 17, 2019 08:33pm
Imagine how the extremely hardliner Indian media would have treated them if they hadn't cancelled their visit?
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Saif Zulfiqar Feb 17, 2019 09:18pm
Both of them should be blacklisted from entering Pakistan ever.
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Sabir Pakistani Feb 17, 2019 09:29pm
They have to live in India try to understand that.
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AXH Feb 17, 2019 09:30pm
The Indian media would have crucified them if they hadn't issued statements that they did.
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sqb Feb 17, 2019 09:58pm
No one cares, when you start to hate, you lose all respect.
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Adil Jadoon Feb 17, 2019 10:52pm
Wonder if they ever shed any tears for the Kashmiris being murdered in Jammu and Kashmir.
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Saif Zulfiqar Feb 18, 2019 01:12am
Feel sorry for the minorities of India under Modi.
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Pervez Feb 18, 2019 02:22am
Shiv Sena is the Hindu version of our TLP , no body wants to offend either of them.
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Haneef Feb 18, 2019 02:40am
I respect Siddu sing more then Shabana and Javid Akhtar. He had the guts and spoke his mind.
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Fareed N Feb 18, 2019 03:29am
They did not have a choice, India is being ruled by the Butcher of Gujarat. If they had come to Karachi BJP goons and RSS would have made their lives living hell.
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Hafeez Feb 18, 2019 03:42am
They have no option but to say yes to Modi. Pakistan has more freedom of speech. Salute to navjot Singh sidhu.
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Alam Feb 18, 2019 06:16am
Why do we are so desperate to invite them !
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Muazam Feb 18, 2019 06:26am
shame on you
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A Feb 18, 2019 07:13am
He and family wants to survive in India so I am not surprised.
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humayu Feb 18, 2019 08:41am
This man Javed Akhtar is a smart man intellectually but unfortunately I have never heard him praising Pakistan in Indian media. He always sounds negative when a subject of Pakistan comes up.
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Syed ali Feb 18, 2019 09:19am
Put yourself in their shoes before passing judgements.
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C M Naim Feb 18, 2019 09:35am
Why not use your resources on better poets such as Mukhtar Siddiqui, N M Rashid and Akhtarul Iman? Why seek the glamour of ilm personalities?
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AGHA PASHA Feb 18, 2019 09:43am
It was better to shut their mouths instead of uttering such comments.
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R ehan Qureshi Feb 18, 2019 09:59am
They want to go on safe mode after sharing these type of comments towards pakistan.
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SkyHawk Feb 18, 2019 10:13am
This Bollywood couple have to give statements like this in order to survive in India, otherwise they will have no place to live in India.
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AbdulWassae Feb 18, 2019 10:45am
Poor statement and decision by Indian artists.
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K Ahmad Feb 18, 2019 12:38pm
I think they are too scared. Shabana mentioned in an interview on TV that despite being a high profile they cannot buy an apartment in Mumbai because of their religion. However Javed went to overboard in criticizing Pakistan. They could have just cancelled the visit
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SATT Feb 18, 2019 12:38pm
Final good bye to both of them.
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MA Feb 18, 2019 02:48pm
Feel sorry for minorities in India.
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Iqbal Maladwala Feb 18, 2019 11:37pm
Javed Akhtar has always been anti Pakistan as he tries to project himself as more Indian than any one else.
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Ravi Feb 19, 2019 10:24am
They have taken right decision.
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Jeetesh Dash Feb 19, 2019 12:26pm
It is an apathy . There are 3 kinds of people in the world . One the perpetrators . Second the victims . And the third the silent spectators . The first two have many a reason to exchange places . Perpetrators say they are victims , and victims become perpetrators citing reasons . The third kind are the ones who put sense in the first two . If this does not happen , the world starts rejecting them as an entity . Apathetical .
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Shah Tirmizi Feb 20, 2019 09:40am
What an amazing response president Ahmed Shah (Y). Pakistani only love Peace! Ms. Azmi & Mr. Akhtar's response was really disappointed this time indeed. With all our heart we respect their thoughts.
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Guest Feb 20, 2019 01:07pm
@Haneef Only respect? I do not believe you!!
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DK PAMNANI Feb 21, 2019 11:37am
Why worried if Javed and shabhana not visiting Pakistan. They have their own personal opinion for not visiting Pakistan.
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