Pakistan has become a synonym to controversies on religious lines. Actress Saba Qamar and her co-star and singer Bilal Saeed had to issue a clarification-cum-apology for shooting a song sequence in the historic Wazir Khan Mosque located in the old city of Lahore.
Qamar, who is known for her role in ‘Hindi Medium’ opposite late actor Irrfan Khan, announced that her song Qubool is releasing on 11th August. Soon after the announcement, a clip of them dancing in the mosque started to circulate on social media that stirred to controversy. As per Islamic law that Pakistan follows, it is strictly prohibited to sing or play music in a mosque.
Saba Qamar posted a teaser video on her Twitter handle and clarified that the video that is circulating on social media “was just a circular camera movement to take stills for the poster of ‘Qabool’ which depicts a happily married couple after their Nikah”. They did not shoot any song sequence in the mosque. She added, “Despite this if we have unknowingly hurt anyone’s sentiments we apologise to you all with all our heart. Love & Peace! #Qubool releasing on 11th of August!” She further added that they did not add any music in the mosque sequence.
Despite this if we have unknowingly hurt anyone’s sentiments we apologise to you all with all our heart. Love & Peace! #Qubool releasing on 11th of August!#BilalSaeed #SabaQamar
— Saba Qamar (@s_qamarzaman) August 8, 2020
Her co-singer Bilal Saeed also posted two videos in which he said that people are circulating a video that shows an entirely different picture from what they have shot. He said, “We, as Muslims, as civilized people and as artists, will never insult or disgrace Islam or any other religion, race, caste, colour or creed.” The tweets were posted in the Urdu language. He promised in the video that they would anyway remove the sequence from the video.
اگر ہم نے انجانے میں کسی کے جذبات کو ٹھیس پہنچائ ہے تو ہم دل سے آپ سے معافی مانگتے ہیں۔
— Bilal Saeed (@Bilalsaeedmusic) August 9, 2020
براہ کرم نیچے دی گئی ویڈیو کو اپنے ، صبا قمر اور باقی ٹیم کی جانب سے مخلص معافی ہے
.
# بلالسعید # صباقمر # قول # اونٹوریکورڈز pic.twitter.com/1g6HVcNTUW
Officers sacked by Pak’s Punjab government
Pakistan’s Punjab government on Sunday announced that they had removed two senior officers who allowed the shooting of the song sequence in the mosque. Punjab Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Saeed Hassan Shah said, “We have suspended two officers – a director and an assistant director – of the Auqaf Department for allegedly allowing the shooting of a dance video in Masjid Wazir Khan. An inquiry has been launched into the matter, and those responsible will be punished,” while talking to the reporters on Sunday.
Application submitted to file a case against the actors
According to the reports, an application was filed in Police station at Iqbal Town to register a case against the actors. The police will examine the legal aspects before registering the case.
Saba is also known for the biopic she did on the social media sensation Qandeel Baloch who was murdered by her brother in 2016. She also made headlines when she expressed her grief over checking she had to face while visiting countries like the US and the UK for being a Pakistani.
