Seek NOC before travelling to India: Pak govt to singers

ISLAMABAD: Close on the heels of the detention of singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in Delhi on charges of illegal possession of foreign currency, the Pakistan government has announced that actors and artists will have to obtain a No-Objection Certificate before travelling to India.

The Culture Ministry will certify Pakistani actors and artistes before the NOCs are issued to them by the Interior Ministry for travelling to India, an official statement said.

A decision to this effect was made at a high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Rehman Malik. The meeting, which was attended by representatives of all ministries, decided that no artiste or actor will be allowed to travel to India without an NOC after March 15.

Malik had announced in parliament that artists will have to obtain NOCs to travel to India in the wake of Khan's detention last week.

Khan was detained after he and members of his troupe were found to be carrying undeclared foreign currency worth USD 124,000. He was let off after he paid a fine of Rs 15 lakh.

The singer blamed the incident on his lack of knowledge of Indian customs laws.