Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi cancels Karachi visit

The latest we get to know is that Bollywood veterans Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar have canceled their scheduled trip to Karachi, following the suicide attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir in which at least 44 Indian soldiers were killed.

Both were scheduled to attend a conference in Karachi in honour of the Kafi Azmi, the celebrated Indian Urdu poet. The conference is scheduled from February 23 to 24 at the Arts Council of Karachi.

We had thought that the art and artist had no boundaries, but Javed Akhtar instantly reminded himself of Indian patriotism.

Jawed Akhtar took to social media saying, “Karachi art council had invited Shabana and me for a two day lit conference about Kaifi Azmi and his poetry. We have canceled that. In 1965 during the Indo Pak war, Kaifi saheb had written a poem: ‘Aur Phir Krishan Ne Arjun Se Kaha’.”

However, Shabana Azmi was earlier diagnosed with swine flu, which could have been her reason for the cancellation of her trip.

It was last year in November when Azmi and Akhtar had attended the Faiz Festival in Lahore.