KARACHI, June 11: Shahid Rassam, the artist whose sculptures destined for Dubai had been detained by the Pakistani Customs in March, has finally got them back after around three months of incessant efforts.
The eminent painter and sculptor said the whole episode spoiled his high-profile exhibition in Dubai after four of his sculptures were detained by the Customs officials suspecting them of being Buddha statues.
Mr Rassam had booked four of his sculptures — each weighing around 50kgs, measuring 2.5 feet in height and made up of gunmetal and bronze — with the PIA cargo through a clearing and forwarding agent ensuring their arrival in Dubai before the exhibition titled ‘Worshippers and Sinners’ scheduled for March 19.
However, he said, they never reached there as the Customs officials seized them and sent them to the archaeology department for its observation.
This spoiled my exhibition as I had spent two years on creating these sculptures and they proved to be much sought after pieces for the visitors who could not find them at the show despite having been introduced in the brochure, he said.
Mr Rassam said the directorate general of archaeology and museums in Islamabad had furnished its verification report on April 12, some 25 days after the seizure, in which they said the objects did not fall within the purview of the antiquities as defined in the Antiquities Act 1975.
But this report was not sent to the Customs authorities and it took me a couple of months more to get my sculptures back, he said.
He said Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister Fatima Suraiya Bajia came to his rescue by pursuing the case in person with the authorities in Islamabad, yet the release of the sculptures could become possible in around three months.
He said he was moving the court for damages against the Customs officials for defaming the country and spoiling his show in Dubai.
