Despite the Shiv Sena's protest against the three-day visit of former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri to launch his book, the programme took place as scheduled. Mr. Kasuri will >launch his memoir , Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy, at the Hall of Culture, Nehru Centre, in Mumbai. The launch will be followed by a panel discussion in which historian A.G. Noorani, actor Naseeruddin Shah and senior journalist and former Kashmir negotiator Dileep Padgaonkar will participate.
The Shiv Sena has said that it will >continue with its protest against former Pakistani Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book launch event in Mumbai but that the Chief Minister had said that there should be no anti-Pak statement at the event.
Live updates:
7:30 pm: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri's book launched.
7:00 pm: It takes immense courage to do what Mr.Kulkarni did this morning at the conference : Naseeruddin
6:55 pm: Never ever my performance in Pakistan was cancelled or endangered: Naseeruddin Shah
6:50 pm: Panel discussion with historian A.G.Noorani, actor Naseeruddin Shah, former Kashmir negotiator Dileep Padgaonkar begins.
6:46 pm: Ex-foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri concludes his speech.
6:45 pm: Dont trust United Nations Military Observer Group. There are people of repute in Pak and India.There are Nobel Prize winners in Pakistan and India. Where there is a will there is a way: Kasuri.
6:40 pm: PM Modi made a promise of development I hope PM realises that AB Vajpayee's route was the right one: KM Kasuri
6:35 pm: We have tried everything, now let's try peace: Kasuri
6:33 pm: I speak of nine important issues in the talks : operation and infrastructure development in both countries.
6:32 pm: Both countries have murdered history comprehensively and as a result they are in this situation today: Khurshid Kasuri
6:31 pm I have not consiously mis-stated anything in the book. You cannot make your case by mis-representing facts.
6:30 pm: The purpse of the book is to correct mis-perceptions. Nothing good will come out of sweet talks. I have described the peace talks in detail. One month before the launch, I sent copies of the book to Pranab Mukherjee, Manmohan Singh (the PM then), LK Advani, Natwar Singh and Yashwant Sinha.
6:28 pm: Each chapter in the book is written in a non-taxing manner for the reader: Kasuri.
6:25 pm: Pandit Nehru visited Lahore because Hindus there were very angry over the partition: Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri
6:24 pm: Former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri thanks Devendra Fadnavis for providing excellent protection ever since he landed in Mumbai.
6:22 pm: Event organiser Sudheendra Kulkarni concludes his speech.
6:20 pm: No military solution for India-Pakistan issue: Kulkarni.
6:18 pm: The time has come for us to create new history which can be created only through dialogue: objective and sincere, uninterrupted and uniterruptable.
6:15 pm: People of India should know what then PM Manmohan Singh and his counterparts were trying to achieve Kulkarni
6:13 pm: Two years ago, Mr Kasuri had started a institute for peace talks and Mr. Kasuri had elaborately talked about the importance of dialogues in creating an understanding between the two countries.
6:11 pm: We met Uddhav Thackeray yesterday to make him understand the situation. "Please dont think that every Pakistani is anti-India," we told Mr. Thackeray.
6:10 pm: Thanks to the principal stand taken by CM Fadnavis and to the Mumbai Police: Kulkarni.
6:05 pm: " The partition that happened is not the partition that our freedom fighters hadimagined. It is our duty to undo the mistakes of the past: Kulkarni.
6:02 pm: Khurshid Kasuri presented with a memento. "Mumbai is a tolerant and liberal city," Mr. Kulkarni, the organiser of the event.
6:00 pm: Heavy security at the Nehru Centre ahead of the book launch. Questioning the hype around Mr. Kasuri’s book launch, Sanjay Raut had said “If anyone condemns our actions, let them condemn."
5:45 pm: The Shiv Sena has said that it will >continue with its protest against former Pakistani Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book launch event
5:35 pm: Sudhendra Kulkarni reaches Nehru Centre, where the Minister's memoir 'Neither a Hawk nor a Dove: An Insider’s Account of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy' will be released soon. Mr. Kulkarni had black oil paint thrown on his face outside his home on Monday.
5:30 pm: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri reaches the venue.
