Daily Times

LAHORE: Muneeza Hashmi, the daughter of famous Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz Sunday returned home after being denied permission to participate in a summit in India, claimed her son, Ali Madeeh Hashmi, on Twitter.

Muneeza, 72, was barred from participating in 15th Asia Media Summit in Delhi, and was told that hotel did not have a booking in her name.

The summit’s organisers offered no explanation on the issue.

She was informed by the Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) director that she wouldn’t be allowed to speak. “We were just informed that you could not attend the conference,” AIBD Director Chang Jin allegedly told her.

Muneeza was scheduled to speak on May 10 at the 4pm session on ‘Should all good stories be commercially successful?’ along with other speakers.

Ali Hashmi in a tweet to the Indian Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj said: “This is your Shining India? My 72 year old mother, daughter of Faiz, denied permission to participate in conference after being officially invited. Shame.”

Muneeza wrote a short note to a friend stating: “Thank you for your and other friends support. I leave it to your judgement to deal with this matter. We the Faiz Family and Faiz Foundation will continue to work for peace between our two countries.”

Published in Daily Times, May 14^th 2018.