Previously, I didn't care about the recent controversy re atif aslam because I am not really a fan of his and don't really care about the celebrities.
However, his response to the controversy has rattled me a bit. In his Instagram post, he has denied that he ever declined the offer to waive the Pak-flag. This response would have been fine if it has ended right there because it would have been sufficient and no Pakistani is required to prove his/her patriotism to any other Pakistani.
He kept on going and said that hopefully in naya pakistan people will learn to respect all thos e who have made Pakistan popular globally.
I find this statement a bit narcissistic.
Atif Aslam is no Nusrat Fateh Ali, Imran Khan or Wasim Akram. He is only popular in the south asian community. That too, among only those who speak hindi, urdu or punjabi. There are hundreds of millions of south asians who don't even understand punjabi or hindi.
Needless to say, he was never selected to represent Pakistan. He is simply representing his voice and himself. When he is hired by an entertainment company to sing a song, he is not hired to represent Pakistan but himself.
Also, previously I absolutely dismissed the possibility of him declining to waive the Pak-flag. That would have not made any sense at all. However, after looking at the news article, which covered his instagram post, I do have a suspicion now. Knowing that he makes a lot of money via Indian platforms and has a huge Indian fan base; he might not have wanted to be seen waving a pakistani flag. An image of him waving a pak-flag would have been heavily exploited by the hawks in indian media and would have affected his indian future earnings and popularity.
In his Instagram post, Atif has posted an image of a t-shirt with a fortune-cookie-like message on it.
Here was a chance for him to prove the controversy wrong and have an image of himself wearing a pak cricket t-shirt or a hat with pak-flag. He didn't. This raises further suspicions. It almost seems like as if he is being advised by his publicist to not to be seen with a pak flag and protect his future Indian earnings.
This is not the first time a pak origin public figure/entertainer (earning via India) has taken an unreasonable stance.
Ramiz Raja, who had commentary contracts with the Indian companies used to defend every stance of the BCCI, no matter how unreasonable. He used to support India for not adopting the DRS. He also ridiculed Pakistanis who did not want the Big 3 system in the ICC. He called the Pakistanis who opposed the Big 3 structure, over-patriotic - justifying his Indian cheques. Of course...India is now using the DRS and the Big 3 structure was never feasible and hence is no more.
CONCLUSION:
I think pak celebrities have every right to earn money from indian platforms. Actually the exchange of entertainers and contact among the citizens of two countries is a very positve thing and should be encouraged. However, the Pak celebrities earning through India should not take the Pakistanis for a fool and should not give morality lectures to their fellow Pakistanis, just to protect their future earnings from India or to justify their present ones.
Lastly, if a singer is only famous in pak-indo community, he has only made a name for him/herself in parts of south asia and among the south asian expats. Just like there is absolutely no requirement for the indian-rupee-khor celebrities of Pakistan to prove their patriotism for the country of their origin; similarly, it is absolutely not mandatory for the Pakistinis around the world to treat them with respect for their personal achievements.
https://dnd.com.pk/atif-aslam-break...sy-says-pakistani-flag-is-his-identity/147907
However, his response to the controversy has rattled me a bit. In his Instagram post, he has denied that he ever declined the offer to waive the Pak-flag. This response would have been fine if it has ended right there because it would have been sufficient and no Pakistani is required to prove his/her patriotism to any other Pakistani.
He kept on going and said that hopefully in naya pakistan people will learn to respect all thos e who have made Pakistan popular globally.
I find this statement a bit narcissistic.
Atif Aslam is no Nusrat Fateh Ali, Imran Khan or Wasim Akram. He is only popular in the south asian community. That too, among only those who speak hindi, urdu or punjabi. There are hundreds of millions of south asians who don't even understand punjabi or hindi.
Needless to say, he was never selected to represent Pakistan. He is simply representing his voice and himself. When he is hired by an entertainment company to sing a song, he is not hired to represent Pakistan but himself.
Also, previously I absolutely dismissed the possibility of him declining to waive the Pak-flag. That would have not made any sense at all. However, after looking at the news article, which covered his instagram post, I do have a suspicion now. Knowing that he makes a lot of money via Indian platforms and has a huge Indian fan base; he might not have wanted to be seen waving a pakistani flag. An image of him waving a pak-flag would have been heavily exploited by the hawks in indian media and would have affected his indian future earnings and popularity.
In his Instagram post, Atif has posted an image of a t-shirt with a fortune-cookie-like message on it.
Here was a chance for him to prove the controversy wrong and have an image of himself wearing a pak cricket t-shirt or a hat with pak-flag. He didn't. This raises further suspicions. It almost seems like as if he is being advised by his publicist to not to be seen with a pak flag and protect his future Indian earnings.
This is not the first time a pak origin public figure/entertainer (earning via India) has taken an unreasonable stance.
Ramiz Raja, who had commentary contracts with the Indian companies used to defend every stance of the BCCI, no matter how unreasonable. He used to support India for not adopting the DRS. He also ridiculed Pakistanis who did not want the Big 3 system in the ICC. He called the Pakistanis who opposed the Big 3 structure, over-patriotic - justifying his Indian cheques. Of course...India is now using the DRS and the Big 3 structure was never feasible and hence is no more.
CONCLUSION:
I think pak celebrities have every right to earn money from indian platforms. Actually the exchange of entertainers and contact among the citizens of two countries is a very positve thing and should be encouraged. However, the Pak celebrities earning through India should not take the Pakistanis for a fool and should not give morality lectures to their fellow Pakistanis, just to protect their future earnings from India or to justify their present ones.
Lastly, if a singer is only famous in pak-indo community, he has only made a name for him/herself in parts of south asia and among the south asian expats. Just like there is absolutely no requirement for the indian-rupee-khor celebrities of Pakistan to prove their patriotism for the country of their origin; similarly, it is absolutely not mandatory for the Pakistinis around the world to treat them with respect for their personal achievements.
https://dnd.com.pk/atif-aslam-break...sy-says-pakistani-flag-is-his-identity/147907
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