Should Pakistani Actors Be Banned In India? "So Narrow-Minded" SC Tells Petitioner

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked a petitioner not to become "narrow-minded" after he sought a complete ban on Pakistani artists performing or working in India.

Dismissing the plea, the apex court said it was not inclined to interfere with the Bombay High Court order which junked the plea filed by Faaiz Anwar Qureshi, who claims to be a cine worker and artiste, according to a report in PTI.

A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti said, "You should not press this appeal. Do not be so narrow-minded," The Supreme Court also refused the submission to expunge certain remarks made by the high court against the petitioner.

The petition had requested the court to instruct the central government to enforce a comprehensive prohibition on Indian citizens, companies, firms, and associations engaging or seeking services, performances, or associations with any Pakistani artist, encompassing cine workers, singers, musicians, lyricists, and technicians.

The Bombay High Court rejected the petition, asserting that the requested reliefs represent a retrograde step in promoting cultural harmony, unity and peace, and has no merit in it.

"One must understand that in order to be a patriot, one need not be inimical to those from abroad especially, from the neighbouring 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 who is good at heart. A person who is good at heart would welcome in his country any activity which promotes peace, harmony, and tranquillity within the country and across the border," it stated.

The high court emphasized in its order that activities such as arts, music, sports, culture, and dance transcend nationalities, cultures, and borders, fostering genuine peace, tranquility, unity, and harmony within a nation and between nations.

The court observed that Pakistan's participation in the Cricket World Cup was made possible due to commendable positive measures undertaken by the Indian government, aligning with the principles of overall peace and harmony as outlined in Article 51 of the Constitution of India, which focuses on the promotion of international peace and security.

Many actors and singers have worked in Bollywood for decades although no artiste has has been part of any Indian movies in the last couple of years due to the tensions between the two countries. Fawad Khan, Javed Sheikh and Humaima Malick are some of the actors who have been part of Hindi movies. Also, Singers such as Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sahab, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Atif Aslam have also been associated with Indian movies.