Interview with Daily Times
Entering Ishtiaq Baig’s house, I could not help but admire
the very tastefully done interior. As I walked by the entrance and the lounge
area, I saw the house was beautifully segmented according to various cultures.
I could see Moroccan, Afghan, far Eastern and contemporary European corners – Buddha monuments and Turkish rugs
in the rooms. I was led to his study room and there again, I looked around and
I could see a gazillion pictures of Ishtiaq Baig with people familiar and unfamiliar
to me. My first sentence to Ishtiaq Baig after exchanging greetings was in
praise of his place. “Well I am a collector; wherever I go I look for the best
piece for my home. That Buddha that you see has an interesting story. I was
bringing this over via Dubai.
The Dubai customs
stopped me from taking the Buddha into their country, saying they do not allow
idols like these in their country. I tried explaining to them that this was for
decorative purpose only, but they didn’t listen. So I had to ship it to Pakistan
directly from there,” Ishtiaq Baig told us.
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