Daily Times

Famous Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has stoked controversy by asserting that Indians arrange weddings abroad to get around the ban on Pakistani musicians performing in India.

In a recent interview, Rahat expressed his thoughts on the ban imposed since the 2016 Uri attack, stating, “Since we couldn’t travel to India, Indians I would like to give them some credit, they started hosting their destination weddings in foreign countries because India does not allow Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Atif Aslam to come in and perform. (They said) We will host our weddings outside so they can come and perform.”

After the ban, Rahat’s music, which was once quite popular in India, suffered and his songs were replaced in Salman Khan’s Dabangg 3. The Bombay High Court made a decision in October 2023 when it denied a petition to outlaw Pakistani musicians performing in India.

Film worker and artist Faaiz Anwar Qureshi had petitioned the Indian government to forbid Pakistani artists-actors, musicians, singers, lyricists, technicians and technicians-from cooperating with or undertaking work in India. The division bench of Justice Sunil B Shukre and Justice Firdosh P Pooniwalla rejected this plea, citing the significance of fostering peace and cultural harmony through artistic exchanges, according to a report by Bollywood Hungama and Live Law India.