Mika performance at Karachi wedding sparks controversy

Karachi, August 11

A performance by famous Indian singer Mika Singh and his troupe at the wedding of a billionaire’s daughter, apparently close to former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharaff, here has caused a furore.

On Monday, India revoked Article 370 and decided to bifurcate the state of J&K into two UTs, a move which drew a sharp reaction from Pakistan, which downgraded its diplomatic ties and snapped trade relations with India, besides suspending the Samjhauta Express services between the two countries.

According to a report in Daily Jang, Mika, 42, arrived in Karachi with his troupe to perform at the wedding  of the influential billionaire’s daughter, who is said to be close to Musharraf. He reportedly performed on August 8. His presence in the city came to light when some guests uploaded videos of his performance on social media.

Opposition leader of Pakistan People’s Party Syed Khursheed Shah said the government must find out who gave the security clearance and visas to the Indian singer and his 14-member troupe at a time when Pakistan had suspended diplomatic and trade relations with India. “This is a time when there is 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, these should have been cancelled,” he said.

The newspaper reported that apparently the groom was a Mika fan and wanted to see a live performance and to grant his wish, the in-laws used their connections to procure security clearance and visas for the Indian band.

Mika apparently charged USD 150,000 for his performance. The Punjabi singer’s performance also upset his fans in India, who took to social media to express their displeasure. One of the Twitter users wrote, “Shame on you traitor.” “Mika Singh Paaji we Indians gave you so much love... And in a situation like that when Pak banned all trade ties with us, sending terrorists across the border, our tensions are very high right now. Why did you go to Pakistan for a show? Few bucks are bigger than India? “ another user tweeted. — PTI