Rahat Fateh thanks government for support
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan shoots down rumours of any threats or mistreatment at the hands of Indian authorities.
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on Wednesday appreciated the Indian government’s efforts to secure his release after he was detained for carrying undeclared foreign currency in India.
Khan was speaking to the media at the Lahore Airport after his arrival in Pakistan.
He said he was happy to return home and thanked Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi which had intervened on Khan’s behalf on the orders of the Pakistani foreign ministry.
The singer also appreciated some Indian artists who had given him support him during his detention.
He shot down claims of threats from any extremist groups during his stay in India and said he was never mistreated by Indian authorities during the ordeal.
“I am thankful to the Indian Government for understanding our stance. They treated us like true artists should be treated,” he said.
Khan was charged at the weekend with violating India's Foreign Exchange Management Act and customs rules and paid a fine of $33,216 for trying to smuggle large quantities of cash out of the country.
Under Indian customs rules, visitors are allowed to carry only $5,000 in cash in and out of the country.
Khan said he did not know about the Indian law: “It’s a customs law which I did not know about. The law says that you cannot carry more than 5000 dollars. We were a group of 14 people. And we had booked our tickets on one PNR number. So that proves that the money belonged to all 14 of us.”
The musician, a nephew of late Pakistani legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, is rated as one of the top singers in Bollywood, India's prolific Hindi-language film industry. Him and his group were boarding a plane to Lahore via Dubai on February 13 when authorities found $124,000 in cash in their bags.
Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on Wednesday appreciated the Indian government’s efforts to secure his release after he was detained for carrying undeclared foreign currency in India.
Khan was speaking to the media at the Lahore Airport after his arrival in Pakistan.
He said he was happy to return home and thanked Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi which had intervened on Khan’s behalf on the orders of the Pakistani foreign ministry.
The singer also appreciated some Indian artists who had given him support him during his detention.
He shot down claims of threats from any extremist groups during his stay in India and said he was never mistreated by Indian authorities during the ordeal.
“I am thankful to the Indian Government for understanding our stance. They treated us like true artists should be treated,” he said.
Khan was charged at the weekend with violating India's Foreign Exchange Management Act and customs rules and paid a fine of $33,216 for trying to smuggle large quantities of cash out of the country.
Under Indian customs rules, visitors are allowed to carry only $5,000 in cash in and out of the country.
Khan said he did not know about the Indian law: “It’s a customs law which I did not know about. The law says that you cannot carry more than 5000 dollars. We were a group of 14 people. And we had booked our tickets on one PNR number. So that proves that the money belonged to all 14 of us.”
The musician, a nephew of late Pakistani legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, is rated as one of the top singers in Bollywood, India's prolific Hindi-language film industry. Him and his group were boarding a plane to Lahore via Dubai on February 13 when authorities found $124,000 in cash in their bags.