Junoon asked to explain 'subversive' remarks made in India. By Omar R. Quraishi for www.Dawn.com LAHORE, Sept 23: The federal government has told the music band Junoon that its members made "highly objectionable" remarks on Indian television against the "ideology of Pakistan" and have asked the group to give an explanation. It also said that such remarks might have been made in India under some sort of "obligation".  In a single-page letter marked ('Confidential/Restricted' and as its subject "Indian Subversive Propaganda") sent to band members Ali Azmat and Salman Ahmed, the Ministry of Culture and Sports through the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), charged the group with "belittling the concept of the ideology of Pakistan" and with "disagreeing with national opinion" regarding the country's nuclear testing.  The ministry's letter dated Sept 9, says that in May of this year the group toured India and during its visit the band members gave various interviews to Zee TV, Star News and BBC TV.  It said that Ali Azmat and Salman Ahmed in their interviews spoke of "cultural similarities and hoped for reunification" of India and Pakistan.  The ministry said that such remarks had been "exploited" by the Indians to their advantage and were consequently given prominent coverage on Zee TV.  The ministry said that the government of India and its media actively pursue a policy to "subvert" people's minds against the Two-Nation Theory and "the possibility that such statements were made under some sort of obligations cannot be ruled out".  The ministry also went to suggest that situation "demands that such groups visiting India may be thoroughly briefed about the subversive techniques employed by the Indians".  The ministry said that matter be investigated, the version of the other side be recorded and then a report be forwarded to it (the ministry) for "further necessary action".  The music group received the ministry's letter on Tuesday and on Wednesday they replied to the charges before a PNCA official. The group denied the charge of "belittling the ideology of Pakistan" saying that it went to India to promote Pakistani culture and art and that its past record had shown everything to the contrary.  It said it had sung songs like Jazba-i-Junoon and sang the national anthem (the group also played at Siachen earlier this year in front of Pakistani troops).  The group said that as far as the charge regarding Pakistan's nuclear testing was concerned, the country had not yet tested when the band was in India. It said that the Indian tests were denounced and a message of "peace and harmony" between the two nations was advocated. The group said it went to India as representatives of Pakistan and not as "subversive traitors" which the ministry's communique was making the whole situation out to be.  The group vehemently denied that it had ever said that Pakistan and India should be reunified. Ali Azmat said that he had been deliberately misquoted in the media to malign the band's image by "vested interests jealous of the groups's popularity". "I never said India and Pakistan should be one; I said all humanity is one," he said.  The group said that Pakistani musicians, sculptors and artistes should be allowed to go tour India and present Pakistan's artistic talent there just as Pakistan's cricket and hockey teams go there to show their sporting prowess.