Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik called up Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday and thanked him for his assistance in the release of noted qawwali singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan detained at the Delhi airport for allegedly carrying a huge quantity of cash.
Mr. Malik assured Mr. Chidambaram of the singer's “full cooperation in the matter, in accordance with the law of the land,'' said a press note from the Pakistan High Commission.
Visa extended
India has extended Mr. Khan's visa to enable investigation into the charge of his having a large amount of money.
“His visa has expired. His visa will be extended and we hope that post-February 17 [when the singer appears before the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence] there could be adjudication proceedings and we hope that the matter would be resolved,'' said Home Secretary G.K. Pillai.
The DRI is probing the source of foreign exchange worth Rs. 60 lakh allegedly recovered from Mr. Khan and two others — Maroof, a Pakistani, who is said to be the singer's manager, and Chitresh Shrivastava, an Indian, said to be part owner of an event management company. The premises of Eyeline Telefilm and Events, owned by Mr. Shrivastava's family, has also been searched.
The three were detained on Sunday while Mr. Khan and his troupe were going to board a flight to Dubai from where they had planned to travel home to Lahore.
Carrying undeclared money above the stipulated limit is an offence under customs rules and offenders are booked under the Foreign Exchange Management Act.
On Monday, Pakistan called on India to end Mr. Khan's protective custody when Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir spoke to Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Sharat Sabharwal. In India, Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik spoke to Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs Vivek Katju and made the same demand.
