Adnan Sami set to be Indian citizen

Bollywood singer Adnan Sami, who was allowed in August to stay indefinitely in India following non-renewal of his Pakistani passport, is likely to be granted Indian citizenship.

His request for Indian citizenship on the grounds that he has renounced his Pakistani citizenship, making India, where he has been staying for a decade-and-a-half, his "home", has been endorsed by the attorney general of India and the Union home ministry is mulling granting him "citizenship by naturalization" in view of his "distinguished service to the cause of art".

According to sources in India's Union Home Ministry, though the ministry had earlier granted Sami's appeal seeking exemption from deportation on humanitarian grounds after his Pakistani passport expired in May due to its non-renewal, the singer was keen on Indian citizenship as a "permanent relief". "The AG has tendered a favourable opinion on his citizenship request. Sami is eligible to be granted citizenship by naturalization under Section 6 of The Citizenship Act, 1955," a senior home ministry official said, adding a call would soon be taken on the issue.

Section 6 of the Citizenship Act allows an applicant to be granted a certificate of naturalization if the central government is satisfied that he/she is qualified for the same under the provisions of the Third Schedule. However, the conditions specified in the Third Schedule may be waived if the central government is of the opinion that the applicant has rendered distinguished service to the cause of science, philosophy, art, literature, world peace or human progress generally.

Incidentally, the citizenship for Sami, if approved, will come in the backdrop of Shiv Sena's strong opposition to performances by Pakistani artists. Only recently, Pakistani ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali's concert in Mumbai had to be cancelled in the wake of protests by Shiv Sena.

Sami had approached home minister Rajnath Singh seeking relief from deportation after Pakistani authorities refused to renew his passport in May. A purported ground for non-renewal, sources told TOI, was an old marital dispute with his second wife, Sabah Galadari, a UAE citizen. The couple divorced in 2012, and Sami is now married to Roya Faryabi, his third wife.

An intervention by the home minister on behalf of Sami ensured that the Centre invoked its discretionary powers under Section 3A of the Foreigners Act to grant him immunity from deportation. The foreigners division of the home ministry allowed his appeal based on his "good conduct" through his stay in India, while saying that any marital issues faced by him were entirely his personal matter.

"In pursuance of the powers conferred under Section 3A of Foreigners Act, 1946 (31 of 1946), the central government...declares...that he (Adnan Sami Khan, son of late Arshad Sami Khan) is exempted from deportation proceedings. This order shall remain valid until further orders," said a home ministry order tabled in the Lok Sabha in August.

Lahore-born Sami first arrived in India on March 13, 2001 on a one-year visitor's visa issued by the Indian high commission in Islamabad. His visa was extended from time to time.

Sami has many hit songs to his credit, though it was the numbers 'Kabhi To Nazar Milao' and 'Lift Kara De' that catapulted him into the big league.

Courtesy : TOI