Dilip Kumar Is An Icon For Both India And Pakistan, Says Kasuri

Mumbai, October 13 (ANI): I was the Foreign Minister of Pakistan and never the Interior Minister, how would I know whether or not Dawood was in Pakistan or not at the moment, stated former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri in a response to a query from journalists right here on Tuesday.

“After Monday’s violent protests against my visit, I thought I should spend a few time with our great apostles of peace”, he told this correspondent on phone. “His wife Saira Banu told me that Dilip Saahab had been twice on secret missions to Pakisatan”.

For over 35 years, Pakistan has been asking that the property be handed over to it or allotted for opening its Mumbai consulate but the Indian government has not agreed.

“And I believe that if we give boost to bilateral trade, have liberal visa regime, encourage people-to-people contact, have more cultural exchanges and play cricket and other sports, we can defeat these negative forces or push them in a position where they will be rendered weak”, he said.

Former Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh also attended the launching beside several prominent Indian leaders that was organised by Indian publisher of the book “The Penguin”.

Significantly the sources said that India had been prepared to hold the NSA talks at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly but that Pakistan “wasn’t open to that”.

After independence, Jinnah left India, and his favourite home became the British Deputy High Commission in Mumbai from 1948 to 1983. Earlier, Sudheendra Kulkarni, organiser of the event, was attacked and smeared black ink by a group of Shiv Sena activists in Mumbai.

Dilip Kumar also played a role in cooling off tensions during the clash for Kargil in 1999. “Please do something to control this situation”. He has lived for Hindu-Muslim unity and with equal conviction for friendship between our two countries. Mr Kasuri, who was escorted by a cavalcade of cars and a busload of policemen, at the launch said, “PM (Narendra) Modi (has) made a promise of development but we need peace”.

Mr Kasuri presented the ailing thespian with his book of diplomatic memoirs that have been at the root of a serious confrontation with the neo-fascist Shiv Sena.