HYDERABAD (India): Accla­i­med singer Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was in for a rude shock when he touched down at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here on Thursday.

Within moments of landing in Hyderabad on an Emirates flight, he was barred entry and asked to return to Abu Dhabi.

The singer had travelled to the city to perform at a New Year eve event.

Immigration authorities at the airport attributed Khan’s deportation to `technical flaws’.

According to rules, Pakis­tani nationals can’t enter India through Hyder­abad, because the legal ports of entry by air are New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chen­nai.

“That’s why the singer was asked to return to Abu Dhabi and travel to the city through the valid entry points,” the official said.

“If a Pakistani national enters through any other airport, except these four metros, his/her travel to India cannot be recorded. So it is mandatory that they stick to the four ports.”

Officials said they noticed a violation of rules in the singer’s travel papers that led to his deportation.

“There was a technical issue with his documentation and he was deported to Abu Dhabi on the same flight,” an immigration official said.

Later, the singer took a flight to Delhi from Abu Dhabi and from there boarded a chartered flight to Hyderabad, according to television channels.

By arrangement with the Times of India

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2016