The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea seeking a complete ban on artistes from Pakistan to perform or work in India, and asked the petitioner not to be "so narrow-minded". A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti 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. "You should not press this appeal. Do not be so narrow-minded," the bench said. The top court also refused the submission to expunge certain remarks made by the high court against the petitioner. The petition had sought the court's direction to the central government to impose a complete ban on Indian citizens, companies, firms and associations from employing or soliciting any work or performance, taking any services, or entering into any association and so on with any Pakistani artiste, including its cine workers, singers, musicians, lyricists and technicians. The Bombay High Court had dismissed the petition, saying the reliefs it seeks is 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.
Why petition was filed
The petitioner requested directives from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Ministry of Home Affairs to issue notifications banning visas for Pakistani artists. Their argument centered on the potential discrimination faced by Indian artists and cine workers due to the unequal opportunities between the Indian and Pakistani entertainment industries. They highlighted the disparity, stating that while Pakistani artists enjoy a favorable working environment in India, the same with Indian artists in Pakistan. Additionally, the petitioner expressed concerns about the potential misuse of the ICC Cricket World Cup if the Pakistan Cricket Team participated, anticipating invitations to Pakistani artists that could lead to complications during the tournament. which would threaten job opportunities for Indian artists
Know why the high court rejected this plea
Previously, the Bombay High Court rejected the petition, stating that the requested relief would hinder efforts to promote cultural harmony, unity, and peace. The court stressed that being patriotic doesn't mean fostering hostility towards individuals from foreign countries, especially those neighboring ours. High Court highlighted that resolutions made by private associations didn't hold legal weight and therefore couldn't be implemented through court orders. The court stressed that enforcing these bans would go against the fundamental rights safeguarded under Articles 19(1)(a), 19(1)(g), and 21 of the Constitution.