Imran Refused to Speak in Rushdie's Presence

Imran Khan

Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan was scheduled to attend the India Today Conclave in New Delhi, but tthe visit was abruptly cancelled after it emerged that British author Salman Rushdie would speak at the same conference. It is beveled that Khan pulled out in a move to avoid raising further fears among liberals about his brand of polities.

A statement from his party said, "he could not even think of participating in any program that included Salman Rushdie, who has caused immeasurable hurt to Muslims across the globe." Organizers announced that Rushdie would speak at the conference, two mothers after dath threats forced him to withdraw from India's premier literature festival. Rushdie's 1988 novel The Satanic Verses is still banned in India and Pakistan for allegedly blaspheming Muslims.