In one of the most explosive interviews on ‘Aap Ki Adalat’, aired on India TV and hosted by veteran journalist Rajat Sharma, singer-composer Adnan Sami came down heavily on the Pakistan Army, accusing its top brass of betraying their own people and humanity at large. The singer, who has made India his home, didn’t hold back in expressing his anguish at the double standards of the Pakistani military establishment, while also opening up emotionally about his journey to becoming an Indian citizen.

In the powerful conversation, part of a press release shared by India TV, Adnan Sami called the Pakistani generals “traitors to humanity”, alleging that they have long misled the world by showcasing themselves as victims of terrorism, while secretly harbouring and nurturing terrorists for their own benefit. “They take foreign donations in the name of Kashmir, but line their own pockets. These generals live in luxury while ordinary people struggle for food,” said Sami, whose father served as a fighter pilot and later a diplomat for Pakistan.

Sami shared deep personal insights from his own life in the elite power corridors of Islamabad. Recalling an incident, he said, “When we heard my father’s friend was going to become the caretaker Prime Minister, a new sherwani was sent from our house for his swearing-in.” Despite these connections, Sami said he was hounded by the same establishment: “They didn’t spare Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, or Imran Khan. Who am I?”

One of the most heartbreaking moments came when he narrated a story of a chef working at his home in Pakistan whose son was radicalised and died as a jihadi. The grief-stricken father later passed away, unable to cope with the loss. “And you call me a gaddar? You are the real gaddar to your nation, and to humanity,” he said in an emotionally charged voice.

On being asked about his Indian citizenship, Sami recalled how the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi refused to renew his passport, effectively stranding him. “I contacted uncles in Pakistan who were close to my late father. They told me: ‘They won’t renew your passport because they want your Indian visa to lapse. Once you return, no one knows what they’ll do to you.’” Frightened and cornered, Sami approached the Indian Home Ministry. Despite his fame, his application for citizenship was rejected twice. “But under special powers, the Government of India finally approved it for my contributions to music and the arts,” he said.

He also made it clear he never feared deportation during the Pahalgam incident, when the Indian government ordered the tracing of foreign nationals. “Once I became a citizen, that’s it,” said Sami, who later received the Padma Shri from the Indian government — an honour he never got from Pakistan. In response to Pakistan’s former minister Fawad Chaudhary’s jibe on social media, Sami dismissed him bluntly: “He is a bhaand.”

Speaking about personal loss, Sami said with moist eyes that the Pakistan High Commission did not even let him attend his mother’s funeral. “I had to watch it over WhatsApp video,” he revealed.

Sharing his struggles in the music industry, Sami recalled how Asha Bhosle mentored him when he arrived in Mumbai. “She told me, ‘Come to Mumbai, it’s the capital of Hindi music.’ I stayed at R.D. Burman’s house. It was like staying in a temple of music. The songs that were rejected in Pakistan became hits here,” he said, naming tracks like ‘Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao’, ‘Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein’, and ‘Lift Karade’.

Sami also lamented the fate of legendary Pakistani singers like Mehdi Hasan and Reshma, who died in penury. “They became famous in India, but Pakistan’s authorities showed no concern. Only the public gave them love,” he said.

When asked how he lost over 120 kg without surgery, Sami recounted how a dire warning from a London doctor and an emotional promise to his father motivated him to change. “A good nutritionist in Houston designed a diet. There was no liposuction, no shortcuts. Just discipline.”

The episode concluded with light-hearted moments, where Rajat Sharma reminded him of Salman Khan’s comment that “Adnan attracts six heroines at a time”. Sami laughed, saying, “That’s the magic of music.” He also shared that he had advised Salman to marry, but Salman quipped, “You married three times — what did you get? Why should I marry once?”

The interview was a rare blend of fearless honesty, emotional depth, and personal revelations — a testament to Adnan Sami’s journey from Lahore to Mumbai, and from ridicule to reverence.