Customs officials seize painting by Pakistani artist at Delhi's IGI Airport

New Delhi, May 13 (PTI) The Customs department here has seized a Pakistani artist's painting, which was imported via London, officials said on Tuesday.

The painting was detected during the routine screening of goods at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport here, they said.

"A painting was detected during the regular screening earlier this month. Upon thorough examination, it was noticed that it was made by a Pakistani artist and routed to India via London," said a senior customs official.

The art work is declared worth Rs 5.5 lakh, the official said, adding that the customs department has decided to confiscate it.

The move comes after India on May 2, 2025 banned "direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan..." through a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in the wake of last month's Pahalgam terror attack.

Twenty five tourists and a civilian were gunned down in cold blood by the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

India had imposed a 200 per cent duty on all goods imported from Pakistan in the aftermath of Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. As many as 40 bravehearts from the Central Reserve Police Force (CPRF) had lost their lives in the dastardly terror strike of 2019.

The customs official said that they have recently detected four cases in which seven to eight paintings made by the Pakistani artists were brought to India through other destinations, including London. PTI AKV AS AS

Source: PTI