LAHORE/KARACHI: Pakistani actress Mahira Khan has joined her co-artistes singer Shafqat Amanat Ali and actor Fawad Khan in condemning the Uri terror strike, sayi ng she prays for a more peaceful world.
Their comments come amid growing demand for a ban on Pakistani artistes from working in Bollywood. The artistes were also criticised for keeping mum on the attack, in which 19 Indian soldiers were killed.
Mahira, who is set to make her Bollywood debut with superstar Shah Rukh Khan, posted on Facebook that she strongly condemns any act of terror. “As a Pakistani and citizen of the world, I strongly condemn any act of terror, any loss of human life no matter which soil it is on! I will not rejoice in bloodshed and war. I will always hope for and dream of a world where my child can live without it, and always plead with everyone to imagine a peaceful world,” she wrote. Shafqat was the first to react to the attack, saying, “As far as I know, Pakistani actors condemn any kind of attack which happens in any part of the world which is against any country because we have been suffering for so many years. “We know how it feels when your soldier or civilian dies. So, I don’t think any of them would say this (Uri) was right.” Fawad, who stars in upcoming Bollywood film “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil”, also broke his silence over the attack in a Facebook post. “I’ve received numerous requests from the media and from well wishers worldwide asking me for my thoughts on the sad incidents that took place in the past few weeks. “As a father of two little children, I pray and wish like many others that together we can build and live in a more peaceful world. I believe we owe it to our children who will shape our tomorrow,” he wrote. Singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, another popular Pakistani import to Bollywood, tweeted, “As #artists we are taught to be #respectful where is the #belief gone #music has no #race or #religion #terrorism is a sin and I condemn it.” Pakistani actress Hina Dilpazeer, who will be seen with Naseeruddin Shah in Indo-Pak collaboration “Jeewan Hathi”, said artistes can be peace messengers at a time when tension is high between India and Pakistan. “All us artistes, who are related to creative works, our job is not to change anybody, our job is to ignite light in the darkness, in hopes that it may create light… We are just doing that. “We ignite the light of our names, of our films and hope that it is enough to pave a path. We’re not here to change anything. We’re just here to spread love,” she said in an interview. “I’ve lived a long time in Dubai and we had a lot of neighbours who were Indians, but they used to welcome us with a lot of love, and we’d call them over with a lot of love. “This (Pak-India friction) is not the common man’s war, this hatred is not the work of the common man, this is the politicians’ work and nothing else. Why would one God-fearing human hate another God-fearing human? There’s no reason,” she said. Fawad, Mahira and other Pakistani actors were targetted by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, which had issued an ultimatum to them to leave India within 48 hours or be forced out. The party has also threatened to stall the releases of “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” and “Raees”. Subsequently, Indian Motion Picture Producers Association passed a motion to ban artistes from across the border from working in the industry till Indo-Pak relations are normalised.—PTI
