Safe in the UK, singer Annie Khalid says no one to hold her back now

The musician says she wants to perform with such artists as Ellie Goulding and M.I.A.

Pakistani musician Annie Khalid said on Friday that there's no one to stop her or hold her back now, since she has moved to Essex, England - away from her difficult marriage in Pakistan.

In an interview with The Independent, the musician, who is often referred to as Pakistan's Britney Spears, said that she had worked hard to get where she is today.


Khalid whose troubled marriage with businessperson Malik Awan was the centre of much media attention in Pakistan, considers the entire episode in her life to be a "bad dream".

The marriage ended with Khalid fleeing to Essex - a decision that she looks back with content.

"Now, there is no-one to hold me back or stop me," she says.

Talking about how she firmly believes in the right of women to wear a veil, the musician said, "I pray five times a day but I don’t need to prove to anyone that I'm a good Muslim."

With "no one holding her back" now, the singer says her wishlist includes performing with such stars as Ellie Goulding and M.I.A and travelling to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Mauritius.

"Most of my songs now are about being happy and grateful for being alive," Khalid claims.