India denies visa to PAT chief Tahir-ul-Qadri
- January 12, 2014, 5:50 pm
- World News
- 170 Views
NEW DELHI, Jan 12 (Online): India, Saturday, refused visa to chief Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), Allama Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri who wanted to pay special visit to India.
According to media reports, reason of this visa plea rejection has not been disclosed yet.
Canada-based Pakistani scholar Qadri was scheduled to address at least 40 events in India over a month in 40 Indian cities.
Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI), in a statement issued expressed utmost dismay over Indian government's decision as Qadri had visited the country several times before.
The visa denial has left Qadri's hosts, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Mumbai and Minhaj-ul-Quran International (India), distraught and his followers disappointed.
"It is shocking as Dr Qadri has millions of followers in India, and it is not the first time he is visiting the country", said an MQI spokesperson.
The statement further added that all the programs were organized after MQI (India) and ORF held talks with the Indian home minister.
ORF Mumbai's chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni, along with MQI (India)'s president Rafeeq Ahmed Khan called on Indian home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde last week and briefed him on Qadri's background.
"Shinde promised us that he would hold a meeting with officials and try to sort out the issue," said Khan.
Kulkarni, while talking to reporters, said, "Officials in the home ministry told us that Dr Qadri's visa has been denied because of Intelligence Bureau's (IB) note. We were not informed on what grounds the IB has issued the note in question," he added.
Now, Allama Tahir-Ul-Qadri will expectedly address the gatherings through video conference.
