HYDERABAD: Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was deported from India's Hyderabad on Thursday morning, Times of India reported.

The singer who was scheduled to perform at a New Year's Eve event was denied entry and asked to return to Abu Dhabi.

"Technical flaws" were cited by Immigration authorities at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport as the reason behind Rahat's deportation.

Immigration officials said there was a rule violation in Rahat's travel papers due to which he was deported.

"There was a technical issue with his documentation and he was deported to Abu Dhabi on the same flight," an immigration official told TOI.

"If a Pakistani national enters through any other airport except the four metros, his or her travel to India cannot be recorded. So it is mandatory that they stick to the four ports. This system has been put in place to monitor the movement of Pakistani nationals in and out of the country," an official said.

Indian immigration rules state Pakistani nationals can't enter India through Hyderabad as legal points of entry by air are Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

The singer was asked to return to Abu Dhabi and travel to Hyderabad after entering the country by means of valid points of entry, an official told ToI.

Rahat took a flight to Delhi from Abu Dhabi Thursday evening, then boarded a chartered flight to Hyderabad airport, ToI sources claim.

Due to the unexpected deportation, the concert initially scheduled for 8pm was rescheduled for 11pm, a member of the event organising team confirmed.

After news of Rahat's deportation spread, the event organisers were able to receive clearance from the relevant Union government departments, including the ministry of home affairs, making it possible for the Pakistani singer to return to Hyderabad.

Opinion

Editorial

Running on empty
Updated 22 Mar, 2025

Running on empty

World Water Day should remind country’s rulers that water crisis threatens the very survival of our future generations.
Another ultimatum
22 Mar, 2025

Another ultimatum

THESE are fraught times, but the government must still find it in its heart to be a little more accommodating....
Muzzled voices
22 Mar, 2025

Muzzled voices

A NEW era of censorship is upon us. The FIA’s arrest of journalist and founder of media agency Raftar, Farhan...
Personal priorities
Updated 21 Mar, 2025

Personal priorities

Pet projects launched by govt often found to be poorly conceived, ripe for exploitation, misaligned with country’s overall development priorities.
Inheritance rights
21 Mar, 2025

Inheritance rights

THE Federal Shariat Court’s ruling that it is un-Islamic to deprive a woman of her right to inheritance is a...
Anti-Muslim actions
21 Mar, 2025

Anti-Muslim actions

MUSLIMS in India have endured incessant scrutiny of their nationalism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ...