Feroz Khan in Lahore with a member of the Indian team.

Islamabad, May 18: At a time many are hoping Islamabad would lift the ban on Indian films, Bollywood actor Feroz Khan has been banned from visiting Pakistan for criticising the country on Pakistani soil.

It was President Pervez Musharraf, personally upset at the actor-producer’s “indecent” remarks, who took the decision, an official in the President’s house said.

Khan ? allegedly after a few glasses too many at a Lahore function ? had sparked a furore by saying Indian Muslims were better off than their Pakistani brethren.

“Pakistan was made in the name of Islam but look how the Muslims here are killing each other. Have you ever heard of a Hindu killing a Muslim in the secular state of India,” Khan reportedly said last month at the Pakistani premiere of brother Akbar Khan’s film Taj Mahal.

“He has misbehaved, abused our hospitality, which was not acceptable, therefore he is barred from entering Pakistan,” foreign office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said.

Pakistan’s high commission in New Delhi has been informed and the interior and foreign ministries told to act in the light of the directive.

Khan has been known to let his tongue run away with him at film functions, which tend to be merry affairs. Days before his Pakistani adventure, he had veered from a speech on his brother’s film to call the US President a “son of a b****” before TV cameras.

He was in Pakistan as part of an Indian team on the occasion of Islamabad relaxing the ban on Indian films to allow a couple to be screened. But at the premiere, he went on to rub salt into the hosts’ wound.

“I have not come here on my own. I was invited to come. Our films are so powerful that your government could not stop them for long,” he was quoted as saying.

The remarks sparked a heated exchange between him and compere Fakhr-e-Alam, a leading Pakistani pop singer.

Later, some members of the Indian team ? who included culture minister Ambika Soni, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actress Manisha Koirala ? apologised to Alam for Khan’s behaviour.

But an actor who was part of the team said: “He lost his temper when Alam directed a slight at Manisha Koirala. Feroz then grabbed the mike and vent his anger at Pakistan.”

Khan later denied making any remarks against Pakistan.

“I have a lot of respect for the people of Pakistan who received us with great love. It is a matter of pride for me that the film of my brother is being exhibited here and people not only gave a very warm welcome to the delegation but also an encouraging response to the film,” he was quoted as saying by Pakistani newspaper The Post.

Akbar Khan, who was at the function, said his brother “did not mean what he said”.

“It was merely a slip of the tongue. We are very upset on the comment made by BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in which he has called my brother a ‘true nationalist’. He is treating my brother in a wrong light.”

Following the April 26 comments, the actor was asked to leave Pakistan by May 1 while the rest of the team stayed on.