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Author-poet Zafar Ullah Poshni, who is heading a team of All Pakistan Progressive Writers Association members to India for the ongoing Faiz Ahmed Faiz centenary celebrations, was deprived of his money by the Indian customs officials at the Attari border on Wednesday.
He was carrying Indian rupees 40,000 to shop in India. The officials confiscated this money stating it was illegal to carry Indian money from across the border.
Told to move court
The stranded Poshni, an expelled ex-British Indian Army official and a contemporary of Faiz who spent time with the revolutionary Pakistani poet in Hyderabad jail, said: “This money was all that I had with me. I had got Pakistani currency converted to Indian rupees at the Wagah border. The Indian customs officials showed me a copy of the law that states carrying Indian cash to India is illegal. He said that I should have brought U.S. dollars and got it converted for Indian currency. They offered me the receipt of the confiscated cash and suggested that I could appeal in a Chandigarh Court, which is ridiculous.”
Salima Hashmi, elder daughter of Faiz and another member of the team, was also asked if she was carrying any money. “I said I am carrying just Rs. 9000, so they let me go.”
Incidentally, President Pratibha Patil inaugurated the centenary celebrations at Vigyan Bhavan here on Friday.
He was carrying Indian rupees 40,000 to shop in India. The officials confiscated this money stating it was illegal to carry Indian money from across the border.
Told to move court
The stranded Poshni, an expelled ex-British Indian Army official and a contemporary of Faiz who spent time with the revolutionary Pakistani poet in Hyderabad jail, said: “This money was all that I had with me. I had got Pakistani currency converted to Indian rupees at the Wagah border. The Indian customs officials showed me a copy of the law that states carrying Indian cash to India is illegal. He said that I should have brought U.S. dollars and got it converted for Indian currency. They offered me the receipt of the confiscated cash and suggested that I could appeal in a Chandigarh Court, which is ridiculous.”
Salima Hashmi, elder daughter of Faiz and another member of the team, was also asked if she was carrying any money. “I said I am carrying just Rs. 9000, so they let me go.”
Incidentally, President Pratibha Patil inaugurated the centenary celebrations at Vigyan Bhavan here on Friday.