FWICE has called for a ban on Pakistani artists in India. This decision came days after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 25 tourists and one pony ride operator. Reacting to a ban on Pakistani artists, Javed Akhtar extended support, stating, “Pakistani artists should not be allowed to work in India, at least for the time being.”

According to News18, Akhtar said, “There are two answers, and both of them are equally logical. You can toss a coin to find the right one. It was one-way traffic – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Ghulam Ali and Noor Jahan came to India, we gave them a great reception. Faiz Ahmad Faiz, who was a poet of subcontinent – he was living in Pakistan because he was born there, but I wouldn’t say he is a Pakistani poet, he was a poet of peace and love – when he came to India during the AB Vajpayee regime, he was treated like a state head.”

“I have no complaints against the people of Pakistan. Big poets of Pakistan have written poems on Lata Mangeshkar. She was, hands down, the most popular Indian artiste in Pakistan in the 60s and 70s, but why was there not a single performance by Lata Mangeshkar in the country? There was some blockage, which was the system, the Pakistani establishment, which I don’t understand. This is one-way traffic, which is not right,” he further added.

Akhtar said, “The second, equally valid, point of view is that if we block Pakistani artistes in India, who are we pleasing in Pakistan? The army and the fundamentalists. This is what they want – a tall wall between India and Pakistan so Pakistanis cannot see the kind of freedom and privileges every citizen of India enjoys. They want distance, it suits them. Bonhomie doesn’t.”

“Both these questions are equally valid. But, at this moment, I would say no (to Pakistanis working in India),” said the lyricist.

The upcoming movie featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, has been banned in India. Not only this, Pakistan has also put a ban on the film's release due to the inclusion of Indian actress, Vaani Kapoor, in it. According to a report in Siasat, Pakistani distributor Satish Anand has confirmed that Abir Gulaal will not be released in Pakistan because of the rising tension with India. He also stated that the film stars Vaani Kapoor, who is an Indian actress, which is also a reason for its ban in Pakistan. As noted by the distributor, the ban of Abir Gulaal in both the countries could cause a massive loss for the makers of film.

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