Noted Pakistan singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has been issued a one-year visa by the United States on the recommendation of some of its members of Congress with an oath that he will be obliged to pay his taxes for the last ten years during this one-year stay.
Earlier, he was denied the visa as the singer failed to pay taxes on his income from the United States from 2015 to 2023.
Scheduled to travel to America on November 18 for a musical show organized by the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's visa application, submitted by promoter Rehan Siddiqui, was rejected due to tax-related issues concerning the singer's US income from 2015 to 2023.
Rehan Siddiqui, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's new promoter in the US, acknowledges this as his first show with the artist and underscores their responsibility to address the singer's taxes, even in the absence of a granted visa.
He was about to come to the US for a performance in a program organized by the Doctors Association "Apna" in Houston.
Later the officials of APNA had several members of Congress, including Congresswoman Sheila Jackson from Houston, call the US embassy in Pakistan and assured the embassy that Rahat Fateh Ali, who is also a tax defaulter in Pakistan and who was caught at the Delhi airport while bringing thousands of dollars in cash from India and since they are banned from entering India, they will pay all the taxes in case of getting a visa.
Ali Khan will pay all his taxes in the new visa period, while the singer claims that he does not owe any taxes and the singer termed the rejection of the visa as a heinous conspiracy against Pakistan and himself.