Sharmila Tagore stopped at Wagah border by Pak authorities

Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore could not cross the Wagah Border into India on Sunday as Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency Immigration stopped her for not having a ‘police report’ of her stay in Lahore.

Tagore, who had come here on a four-day visit to participate in the Lahore Literary Festival (LLF), was escorted by police to get to Wagah Border. The Punjab government had given her ‘official protocol’ after her meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. However, when she reached Wagah Border the immigration officials told her that ‘police report’ was missing from her travel documents.

On her inquiry that “can’t I go with this document”, the immigration official said ‘No’.

An FIA official told PTI that a protocol official accompanying Tagore contacted the police station concerned and arranged the report in about two hours through fax.

“By the time the police report matter was resolved Tagore, who was waiting at the guest room, changed her mind to cross the border. She decided to leave for India on Monday and returned to hotel on the Mall Road,” the official said.

Perhaps, missing her flight Amritsar-Mumbai was the reason to extend her stay in Lahore for one more day, he said.

During her stay in Lahore, Tagore called on Prime Minister Sharif yesterday at his palatial Jati Umra residence in Raiwind and had a dinner with him and his family members. She was warmly received by the family members of Sharif especially his daughter Maryum Nawaz.

Sharif, an admirer of Tagore, also inquired her about the health of iconic actor Dilip Kumar. The prime minister told Tagore that Pakistan wanted cordial relations with India.