Sami sues Canada for 30m

A searing tug-of-love custody battle between Bollywood singer Adnan Sami Khan and his glamorous ex-wife lands in a Toronto courtroom today ...

A searing tug-of-love custody battle between Bollywood singer Adnan Sami Khan and his glamorous ex-wife lands in a Toronto courtroom today 8212; with a 30 million suit against the Canadian government.

Khan is suing Canada for economic loss and emotional distress he says was triggered by an immigration raid in November 1998 which saw his young son taken away.

He claims, according to court documents, that he was 8216;8216;severely embarrased, humiliated and traumatised8217;8217; by his arrest after the raid, and the loss of his son, Azaan, whom he has not seen since.

His claim filed in Federal Court in Toronto, describes him a 8216;8216;well-known and much publicised celebrity in Pakistan and the surrounding region.8217;8217; It requests compensation of up to Canadian 30 million.

The claim contends Khan8217;s arrest lowered 8216;8216;his esteem both within his native Pakistan and within the entertainment industry worldwide.8217;8217;

The suit, which names the Canadian government and several immigration officials, is an offshoot of Khan8217;s still-raging custody battle in Pakistan over Azaan, now 10, with ex-wife and Bollywood actress Zeba Bakhtiar.

The pair duelled in lawsuits for custody of the boy after Azaan accompanied his father to the United Arab Emirates for a concert tour in June 1997.

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The suit charges Canadian officials with failing to properly take into account court orders in Pakistan giving Khan custody of the boy 8212; and of treating him in a 8216;8216;callous and high-handed manner8217;8217;.

Federal Court officials here said a pre-trial hearing for Khan8217;s case would take place in Toronto on July 15.

Khan8217;s lawyer said on Tuesday that it was still possible that an emotionally draining full trial of the case could be averted with an out of court settlement. 8216;8216;In a perfect world, we are able to settle,8217;8217; said lawyer Michael Freeman.

Canada8217;s National Post newspaper last week quoted a statement of defense in the trial as refuting Khan8217;s claims that Azaan was led away 8216;8216;kicking and screaming8217;8217; by immigration officers. And it contends that Khan presented no evidence that Bakhtiar8217;s claims to Canadian immigration officers were false. Khan will not be at today8217;s hearing, but will be represented by a family member. 8212; PTI