Nothing Personal Against Atif Aslam, But Towards Pakistan Government: Arko

Composer Arko, whose song Baarishein, featuring Atif Aslam, has been pulled down by T-Series in the wake of the Pulwama terrorist attack, says he has no personal hatred against any Pakistani singer, but he has a strong stand against the neighboring country’s government for repeatedly failing to control terrorism.

“I have nothing personal against Atif or any Pakistani talent for that matter because they are artists like us. I have a problem and I have everything against the Pakistan government and its approach toward handling terrorism that is taking the lives of our people and army personnel,” Arko said in an interview.

The song Baarishein, featuring Atif and Nushrat Bharucha, released on February 13. The very next day a deadly terrorist attack took place in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, orchestrated by the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed. It left at least 49 CRPF troopers dead.

While several Bollywood celebrities have shown solidarity towards the families of the martyrs, social media is filled with people demanding strong action against such terrorist attacks.

Baarishein was pulled down from the YouTube channel of T-Series on Monday. Arko feels showing solidarity will not offer any solution to the situation, but he said: “Not taking a strong stand considering the gravity of the situation, would be worse.

“I do not want any violence that cost human lives of common people, but no retaliation on such an inhuman attack is worse than continuing collaboration, a dialogue. There is no doubt that we all want peace, but not by staying silent when the bloodbath is happening.”

In the past, Arko has collaborated with many Pakistani singers like Ali Azmat and Shafqat Amanat Ali apart from Atif, and delivered songs like “Yeh jism hai toh kya”, “Allah waariyan”, “Tere sang yaara” and “O saathi”.

“I know any artiste or common individual is not responsible for what has happened, but the government is. That is why setting out a stand clearly is important. The solution, of course, would be a much complicated political conversation. I am certainly not the right person to comment on that matter, but the act of terrorism can never be supported,” said the composer,” Arko said. (IANS)

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