Syed Javed Hussain
Pakistan's premier singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was arrested at New Delhi airport on Sunday Feb. 13, 2011 while leaving the country for Lahore, Pakistani Punjabs Capital, after a very popular singing tour in India that had earned him a lot of money. The same money, US $124,000, has proved to be his downfall. Reportedly, he was carrying the cash in his own and his co-performers luggage.
The Dawn, a widely circulated English daily from Karachi, on Monday Feb 14, 2011 reported that his troupe manager and the event company manager were also arrested along with the Khan.
This is huge news in Pakistan and around the world where Khans fans are in millions. This can also badly affect the slow-paced improvement of relations between two countries. Khan has a VIP status in Pakistan and is loved by millions of people all over the world who are extremely distraught at this sad news.
There are lobbies in both countries which for different reasons are against any normalization of relations between two countries. Islamists and Pakistani sympathizers of the Kashmir Liberation Movement in Indian-held Kashmir do not want to maintain any relation with India until India has solved the Kashmir problem and Kashmirites have been given their birthright of self-determination through plebiscite as agreed by India and the UN.
In India, on the other hand, certain extremist parties have not yet reconciled with the idea of an independent and sovereign Pakistan. They wish that the breakaway part of India, Pakistan, one day, will rejoin the so-called motherland and the word Pakistan is removed from the world map.
The directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) in India acted on a tip as Mr. Khan was leaving the country after earning a huge sum of money. Mr Khan could only have $5,000 in cash on him or traveler cheques worth $10,000.
DRI's additional director general has reportedly said "Prima facie this seems to be a violation of the custom Act and the foreign exchange maintenance act. We are investigating how Khan managed to get and convert so much foreign exchange" (The DawnFeb 14, 2011)
Social and cultural circles in Pakistan are highly charged and have demanded an immediate inquiry into the incident that has disgraced their idol in such a way.
On Feb 13, 2011 Geo News, a very popular TV channel in Pakistan, reported Mr. Rahman Malik, Pakistans Interior Minister, as saying that the ministry of interior was looking into the matter very closely.
Everyone knew that after so many hugely popular and successful performances The Khan would be returning home with a substantial amount of money. Why didn't the authorities counsel Khan on how to take the money home? How long will the tunnel vision of half-wit officials be allowed to play with the destiny of one fourth of humanity in this part of the world?
Information
This is huge news in Pakistan and around the world where Khans fans are in millions. This can also badly affect the slow-paced improvement of relations between two countries. Khan has a VIP status in Pakistan and is loved by millions of people all over the world who are extremely distraught at this sad news.
This is a news story that appeared in the Suite101 on Feb 14, 2011