Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar cancel Karachi event to protest Pulwama attack

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Shabana said, “@Javedakhtarjadu and I have cancelled Karachi Arts Councils celebration of my father Kaifi Azmi’s centenary and Rekhta’s 3 day celebration in Dubai which included a show of our play Kaifi aur Main by IPTA. All Indians stand united as one.”

“@Javedakhtarjadu n I were invited for a 2 day event celebrating #Kaifi Azmi centenary. I appreciate that our hosts #Karachi Arts Council have mutually agreed with us to cancel the event at the nth hr in view of the dastardly Pulwama Massacre,” Shabana said in a series of tweets.

Javed Akhtar said, “Karachi art council had invited Shabana and me for a two day lit conference about Kaifi Azmi and his poetry. We have cancelled that. In 1965 during the Indo-Pak war Kaifi saheb had written a poem . “AUR PHIR KRISHAN NE ARJUN SE KAHA”.

“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 said in another tweet.

Strongly condemning the ‘dastadly terror act in Pulwama on February 14’, in which 40 CRPF jawans lost their lives, an all-party meeting in New Delhi on Saturday said the country stands united in solidarity with the security forces in fighting terror and defending the unity and integrity of India.

A unanimous resolution passed at the meeting in Parliament, chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, also condemned the support given to acts of terrorism from across the border.

In one of the worst terror attacks on security personnel in recent times, at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were martyred and 14 others injured when a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant (suicide bomber) rammed an IED laden vehicle into the forces' convoy at Awantipora in south Kashmir district of Pulwama on Srinagar-Jammu national highway on Thursday afternoon.

  JeM has claimed responsibility for the Fidayeen (suicide) attack even as India slammed Pakistan for giving full freedom to the militant group in its territory to prepare for attacking Indian securitymen.

"This terror group is led by the international terrorist Masood Azhar, who has been given full freedom by Government of Pakistan to operate and expand his terror infrastructure in territories under the control of Pakistan and to carry out attacks in India and elsewhere with impunity," said India in a statement.