Islamabad restaurant owners say 'saddened' over calls to #boycottcannoli

The owners of the Islamabad restaurant, Cannoli by Cafe Soul, have responded to calls for boycotting the eatery, saying they are "saddened" over the reaction to the video that started it all.

The video showed the owners mocking the restaurant manager for lacking in English language skills and was slammed by Twitter users.

"We are saddened and appalled by the reaction of the people, how they have misconstrued our banter with a team member," read a statement by the owners on Instagram.

The owners characterised their talk in the video as "gup shup" between a team, saying it was never intended to come across as "hurtful".

"If anyone was hurt or offended we apologise, however that was never our intention," they said.

The statement added that the owners are "not required" to prove anything or defend themselves as kind employers.

"Our team has been with us for a decade, that should speak for itself," it read.

"We are proud Pakistanis who love our language and our culture," the owners added.