Army soldiers search for suspected militants after a gunbattle in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir on December 5. (Reuters)
Organisers of an international Sufi conference, scheduled to be held at Punjabi University in Patiala on December 9-10, have cancelled invitation to the Pakistan High Commissioner and the 15-member team of Sufi singers from the neighbouring country following terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
The annual event is aimed at promoting Sufi music and hosts representatives from Iran, Afghanistan and other south Asian countries.
But sensing trouble following the terror attacks which claimed 13 lives, the organisers had to cancel the visitors from across the border.
"The Pakistani team's invitation has been cancelled in view of the renewed tension between the two countries due to terror attacks. Also we want to hold the festival in a Sufi atmosphere," said Dr Nasir Naqvi from Punjabi University.
Five soldiers from the region have been martyred in the attacks including 3 from Punjab and one each from the neighbouring states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.
The cancellation of invitation to singers from Pakistan is a huge setback for the event as they have been a huge draw on previous occasions.