Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan on Wednesday announced that he would not participate in the India Today Conclave beginning in New Delhi on Friday because controversial author Salman Rushdie would also be participating in the two-day event.
In a statement released here, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said the party chairman cancelled his participation as keynote speaker at the conclave immediately on learning of Mr. Rushdie's participation. “He expressed his regrets to the organisers but stated categorically that he could not even think of participating in any programme that included Rushdie who has caused immeasurable hurt to Muslims across the globe.”
As for the last-minute decision, the PTI's explanation was that Mr. Khan “received and saw” the full programme of the conclave on Tuesday evening and took the decision early on Wednesday. His was to deliver the closing gala dinner keynote address on ‘Captain Pakistan: The Ultimate Test'.
Mr. Rushdie — who incurred a fatwa to kill him for his book The Satanic Verses — is scheduled to speak on Saturday in a session titled ‘The Liberty Verses' where he will dwell on “I am What I am and That's all That I am”. Besides Mr. Khan, other Pakistanis who have been invited to the conclave include the former Ambassador to the U.S., Maleeha Lodhi, and assassinated Punjab Governor Salman Taseer's daughter, Shehrbano Taseer.
