What Kartik Aaryan says about attending event linked to Pakistan-owned entity

Kartik Aaryan has officially denied any involvement in an alleged upcoming Independence Day event in Houston, USA, after the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) raised strong concerns about the show being allegedly linked to a Pakistani-owned entity.

Earlier, FWICE sent a letter to the actor urging him to ‘withdraw’ from the event, citing concerns over national interest, especially following the terror attack at Pahalgam on April 22.

However, on Saturday evening, Kartik's team issued a clarification stating that the actor is ‘not associated with the event’ and that he never made an ‘official announcement’ about participating in it.

In the statement, the team said, "Kartik Aaryan is not associated with this event in any capacity. He has never made an official announcement about participating in it. We have contacted the organisers and requested that all promotional materials featuring his name and image be removed."

FWICE, in their letter to the actor, wrote, "As you are well aware, FWICE has issued a directive for all members and stakeholders of the Indian film industry to completely boycott Pakistani artistes, technicians, and performers in light of Pakistan's continued involvement in terror attacks against India, including the recent brutal attack in Pahalgam, where innocent Indian civilians and tourists lost their lives. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B Ministry) has also issued a similar directive that is very much in force and must be followed strictly by all Indian citizens and performers working in public life."