LAHORE, April 20: Pakistan on Wednesday refused visa to Indian peace marchers who wanted to enter Wagah Border and walk up to Multan for highlighting the cause of peace. Only nine Pakistanis, who had gone to India for joining the peace march, were allowed entry back home.

According to organizers of the march, the interior ministry has expressed its inability to provide security to so many Indians marching from Wagah to Multan.

The interior secretary was quoted as saying that the route of the march included many sensitive pockets and it would not be advisable for them to walk through them. Any untoward incident could be highly embarrassing for Pakistan, especially given the goodwill generated by the political leadership on both sides of the border, he said.

The organizers, on their part, had offered the government to convert the march into a caravan and to use buses for reaching Multan.