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Lollywood actress Meera detained, refused entry into Delhi
by Meghna Nayar

     New Delhi: A tearful Pakistani actress Meera, who was till recently in the thick of controversy in her own country over her alleged kissing scene in Mahesh Bhatt's film 'Nazr', was refused entry into New Delhi on Wednesday. After arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport this morning at around 11:00 a.m. from Karachi, Meera managed to clear the immigration counter and was about to leave the airport with her luggage, when Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), who man the airport gates, and airport officials, stopped her at one of the exit points, saying that she could enter the Indian capital. The Lollywood actress was made to wait inside the airport for over three hours, and was informed that she was denied entry into New Delhi because she was supposed to disembark at Mumbai and not at Delhi.

     A frantic and tearful Meera said: "I have all the right documents, a visitor's visa to Delhi and even a triple entry visa to travel all across India. However, I am not allowed to leave the airport and have been told to wait here until 9 (p.m.) this evening." The actress said that she had come to the Indian capital to participate in a Indo-Pakistan peace march that got under way from Nizamuddin today and also to complete her shooting schedule for 'Nazr'. "I am very unhappy with the rules of the Indian government. At the moment, I have just been told to wait here at the airport and nobody is even attending to me. It's really unfortunate, that at a time when relations between both the countries is so good, a guest from Pakistan is being treated so badly,." the Lollywood actress said. However, there was no official word as yet on why she was being detained. The rather emotional actress said that since the morning she had been turning to everybody for help, including this correspondent over the phone. She even went to the extent of saying that she was willing to speak to ANI about her predicament only if the media house took steps to help her. Mahesh Bhatt and others are said to be trying to sort the problem. Meera is making her Bollywood debut with Ashmit Patel in "Nazr", a romantic thriller, which is set for release in June this year. According to media reports, Pakistan's Interior Ministry had fined Meera for her "kissing" scenes with Patel, and she also confirmed that she had received death threats from Islamic radicals back home. Fearing for her life, Meera had even approached the Government of Pakistan to provide her with adequate security because of the threats to her life. She blamed the threats as being the work of some her Lollywood rivals.

Insurance employees on a two-day strike (Go To Top)

    New Delhi: After Tuesday's strike by the Bank employees, nearly 75,000 insurance employees throughout the country went on a two-day strike from today. The striking insurance employees are protesting to seek a wage revision and against increase of FDI limit in insurance sector from 26 percent to 49 percent. "Wage revision for insurance employees has been due from 1st August, 2004 and no negotiations have been reached in this regard and hence we have resorted to this strike," M.S.Upadhyay, the Working President of the General Insurance Employees' All India Association, said. "In September 2004, an 8.5 percent wage hike had been offered to the insurance employees which was rejected by all the trade unions as it was below expectations," he said. "This offer was again made to in November 2004 after which the issue has been overlooked," he added.

India, US should discuss Pak 'intensely and secretly': Blackwill (Go To Top)

     Bangalore: India and United States must discuss about Pakistan's future in an "intense and secret" manner, suggested the former US Ambassador Robert D. Blackwill. "The US and India have a huge stake in the future of Pakistan, both US and India want a "democratic, stable and prosperous" Pakistan," The Daily Times quoted Blackwill as saying, while speaking on the Indo-US ties. "Pakistan is currently unstable because it depends on one man for governance. The Bush administration had wanted to strike a balance between working with Pakistan in the war against terror and the need to dismantle the terrorist network inside Pakistan. However, the terrorist infrastructure is still there," he said. The former US Ambassador suggested the US to not to act harshly and said, "If Pakistan is isolated, what will it lead to?" He further said that the United States must talk to India to find ways for the return of democracy and stability in Pakistan. "We should initiate an intense and secret discussion with India regarding the future of Pakistan, including contingency planning", he added.

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