New Delhi, Jan 28 (UNI) The IPL fiasco has also cast its long shadow over the New Delhi World Book Fair to be held here from January 30 as the National Book Foundation of Pakistan backtracked from its participation in the nine-day event.
The decision comes hard on the heels of the neigbour country's Chief Election Commissioner and a parliamentary delegation cancelling their visits to India recently.
National Book Trust Director Nuzhat Hassan told mediapersons here today that the Foundation, based in Islamabad, had declined to attend the fair yesterday itself.
''We are disappointed over this. However, there are other private publishers from the country who contacted us directly and will be exhibiting at the fair,'' she said.
On being asked about any particular reason, she replied in negative.
With nearly 2,400 stalls and stands representing nearly 1,200 Indian and foreign publishers and exhibitors, the biennial fair is organised by the National Book Trust here.
A Pakistani parliamentary delegation had cancelled a visit to India a week before after none of the country's cricketers were chosen to play in the the third edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in March.
Pakistan's cricketers played in the first IPL tournament in 2008, but were not allowed by Islamabad to travel last year due to the tensions after the Mumbai terror attacks.
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