Karachi: Mika performs at wedding of Musharraf's relative, invites criticism
Amid strained India-Pakistan ties, a performance by Bollywood singer Mika Singh at a wedding in Karachi has sparked a controversy. The singer, along with his 14 crew members, performed at the wedding of former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf's billionaire cousin's daughter. After clips of the performance surfaced, netizens on both sides of the border criticized the host and the singer. Here's what happened.
Why are India and Pakistan at loggerheads?
After India scrapped the contentious Article 370 and withdrew Jammu and Kashmir's special status, Pakistan protested (?). Opining that the move was "illegal", Imran Khan-led Pakistani government downgraded diplomatic relations with India and suspended bilateral trade. Pakistan also banned Indian movies and stopped Samjhauta Express' services. Meanwhile, New Delhi asked Pakistan to stay away from internal matters and urged it to review the decision.
Interestingly, Mika and his team performed on the groom's wish
Reportedly, Mika performed at the wedding on August 8, just three days after the government took the massive decision. It was the groom who wanted Mika to perform at the wedding, The News said. Further, the report claimed Mika and his team got Pakistani visa within 24 hours. Apparently, the guests were also prohibited from making videos of Mika's performance.
Here's a video of this performance
Pakistani politician said Mika's visa should have been canceled
The performance, for which Mika reportedly charged $150,000, turned political after opposition leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party Syed Khursheed Shah raised his voice. "This is a time when there's a ban on Indian films, dramas, shows, and Pakistan has made its views clear to the Indian government. Even if visas were issued early on they should have been canceled," Shah said.
Subsequently, Twitter users expressed displeasure
Naturally, social media users in India and Pakistan fumed at the event. Journalist Naila Inayat tweeted, "Happy that Indian singer Mika Singh performed at the mehndi of Gen Musharraf's relative recently in Karachi. God forbid if it was Nawaz Sharif's relative it would be raining ghadari k hashtag already (sic)." Another one tweeted, "SHAME on such wealth. SHAME on such affluence."
