Controversial Pakistan Minister Sheikh Rashid, accused of harbouring Kashmiri militants more than a decade ago, has been denied an Indian visa. Rashid wanted to visit India to watch the ongoing India-Pakistan cricket series here.

Rashid, the Railways Minister and a close aide of President Pervez Musharraf, had requested for the visa, saying he had been invited as a guest by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

But the Indian government refused to entertain the request in view of his controversial background. Rashid, who claims to be of Kashmiri origin, had harboured militants in the early 1990s, a fact disclosed by Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik two years back.

New Delhi refused the visa as it wanted to avoid a situation where questions could have been raised over allowing a person, who has directly helped militancy, to visit India. Malik had alleged that Rashid had hosted scores of Kashmiri militants at his residence.