Pakistani artists to be banned in India? Supreme Court responds to plea and asks petitioner not to be ‘narrow-minded’
A plea was filed for a ban on Pakistani artists in India, to which the Supreme Court responded by telling the petitioner not to be ‘narrow-minded’.
New Delhi: India and Pakistan have never had the best of diplomatic relations and for a few years Pakistani artists were not allowed to perform in India; they were forbidden. However, artists like Fawad Khan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Atif Aslam are extremely popular in India. In a latest news update, the Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking a complete ban on artists from performing or working in India. The court asked the applicant not to be ‘narrow-minded’.
Supreme Court rules against suit artist ban in India
A bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti said it was not inclined to interfere with the order of the Bombay High Court, which dismissed the plea of Faaiz Anwar Qureshi, who claims to be a film worker and an artist. The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a plea seeking a complete ban on artistes from Pakistan from performing or working in India, asking the petitioner not to be “so narrow-minded”.
‘You should not take up this profession. Don’t be so narrow-minded,” the bench said. The Supreme Court also refused the motion to quash certain observations made by the Supreme Court against the petitioner.
Order of the Bombay High Court
The petition sought the court asking the central government to impose a complete ban on Indian citizens, companies, firms and associations from employing or soliciting work or services, purchasing services, or making any association with to go, and so on, with any Pakistani. artiste, including its film workers, singers, musicians, lyricists and technicians.
The Bombay High Court had dismissed the petition, saying the relief it seeks is a step backward in promoting cultural harmony, unity and peace and there is no merit in it. “You must understand that to be a patriot you do not have to be hostile towards people from foreign countries, especially from the neighboring country,” the court had said.
“A true patriot is a person who is selfless, who is devoted to the cause of his country, which he cannot be unless he is a person of good heart. A person of good heart would welcome in his country any activity that promotes peace, harmony and tranquility within the country and across the border,” the report said.
Art, music, sports, culture, dance etc. are the activities which transcend nationalities, cultures and nations and truly create peace, tranquility, unity and harmony in nations and among nations, the Supreme Court had said in its judgment. It had noted that Pakistan was participating in the Cricket World Cup. This happened only because of appreciable positive steps taken by the Indian government in the interest of general peace and harmony in accordance with Article 51 of the Constitution of India, which deals with the promotion of international peace and security, the Supreme Court said.
(Input from PTI)