Indian singer denied NOC for March 23 LUMS concert
A doctor by profession, has performed with his band Euphoria in Pakistan before. His performance was the first by an Indian band in Pakistan in 2008. Speaking to TOI, Sen said that he was super excited about being invited for the second time to the neighbouring country.
Had he been granted the NOC, it would have made them the first Indian band post 26/11 to perform at a public function in Pakistan. On the day that they were supposed to perform in Pakistan, LUMS was denied a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Ministry of Interior, forcing them to cancel the concert, and making the band return home from Amritsar, where they were waiting for the NOC.
Speaking to DT after the cancellation of the concert, Sen said, "I'm really upset... The Pak Ministry of Interior never gave us an NOC, and kept everyone waiting till the nth hour. They kept us hanging, and then refused to issue one on the afternoon of March 23." Sen said that the hype that had been generated for the concert was huge, and that "everyone in Pakistan knew Euphoria was coming".
The last minute cancellation has bothered Sen. "How come their artistes are here all the time? If their ministry is so strict, why is ours so lenient? They simply told the college that there were security concerns, so the NOC wasn't issued. We were going without any fear whatsoever! The organisers had even made arrangements for my mom. I was very keen that she visit the city where her father did his LLB. The college authorities were parked at the Ministry of Interior for three days, and had even made all the arrangements for us. The sound and lights were all booked. This really is disturbing."
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Its really good that he wasnt given NOC. He could have been assasinated, who knows what can happen in Pakistan?
@Asif Butt:I was not finding fault with the authorities ,it was our fellow commentators, who i thought were spoiling the atmosphere with their hateful comments. I liked the underlying affection in your comment.
@mrk: "It’s not like this was a really big Indian star who was set to perform"
Really big stars do not risk their lives by coming to Pakistan. It is only if many medum level starts perform in Pakistan without a problem that any big star (from any country - not just India) will feel emboldened to come to Pakistan
Give him visa immediately. We should not crib on small issues or to follow tit-for-tat policy if we really want to have good relation with one-another. Both country have good artists, still they perform in one another country. Is that mean if we were having Jagjit Singh so we should not let maestro Gulam Ali come here for performance??? How a ridiculsou thought by some of my friends.
@jagjit sidhoo: hey jaggu bhai , dont take it wrong man . not allowing to enter is SAFER than allowing to enter on ones own risk....
Relax everyone..He was not granted an NOC most probably because concerts have been banned in Punjab because of a recent stampede incident at a concert that resulted in the death of two girls. It has got nothing to do with the singer being Indian.
This is really strange. These types of visa or NOC refusals happen from both sides on a regular basis - to stretch it beyond that is uncalled for. It's not like this was a really big Indian star who was set to perform. Little known stars and regular people from Pakistan also run into problems.
These visiting artists are supposed to promote good relations so chill folks and do no spoil the atmosphere .
@Sadqay Jawaan: "Pakistani visiting artists including beating up Comedian Shakil Siddiqu"
Hear what Shakil Siddiqui himself has to say about India and Indian audiences between 2:00 to 3:45 minutes. This is in an interview to a Pak channel - not to an Indian channel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBq7q0ElIoc&feature=relmfu
@Sadqay Jawaan: Pakistan had enough teams to play against...but the question is will it ever be in pakistan ?? no !!! after some yrs , u might get bangladesh to tour pakistan... but u can never expect teams like aus, south africa, india, england, sri lanka (after wht they experiences )etc. I dont blame them .. why would anyone risks their lives to play in yr country, where your some of your own state govts were killed by their own security guard!! when pakistan says it will give 100 % security..the whole would knw what liars and cheats yr govt is..hve u frgt abt the lies abt osama bin laden and other terrorists ! after tht incident most western countries will never trust pakistan !! and on the othr hand , pakistan expects USA to sign a similar nuclear deal with it !! lol after all these embarrasmnt u guys stll hve no shame ! regarding the Rateh ali khan episode, well had it been a similar incident in pak involving an indian singer or star, they wuld hve faced the same treatment !! so stop yapping.. sorry pak will always be a dangerous place to vist and forever u will suffer the image of being a nation of terrorist supporters, no matter how hard u try ! u guys dnt hve guts ..u only talk a lot...why are pak singers and actors so desperate to perform in ind, cause they knw once they get popular in ind, they only they can get bettr pay and respect...as in pakistan they dnt get any respect !! like it or not.. yr film multiplexes relies on bollywood and hollywood to survive..so even if yr govt thinks of banning hollywd or bollywd, its u ppl who will suffer not us...!so look at either ways..u guys will always be the loosers !! not but loosers !!
@Indian high commission please take a leaf out of Pakistan book and do what they do, to spare us from Pakistanis who visit and torture us here in the name of art. These guys are here to get funds for the Pakistan's born and bred non state actors.
Well look at the bright side... atleast the folks at LUMS have been saved from the torture of listening to bad singing.
@yasir chaudry: We will not stop inviting your folks like atif, NFAK cause we love and respect the ART more than anything else.
@Patrik: Security lapses can happen anywhere in the world. 9/11 was the biggest security lapse in the world. There was a security lapse in UK as well. Two more jokes; am I correct.
What rubbish! Our artists are there all the time; and we dont allow theirs to come for a concert. Our interior ministry clearly knows its priorities at a time when terrorism and insecurity reign within our borders.
Someone has posted the LUMS society's Patron's comments from the Times of India report. Frankly, I don't see much sense in them. An NOC is different from a visa. The NOC's denial leads to visa refusal I think. And from what current students of the university told me, the NOC was denied on the basis of the date being March 23 (Pakistan Day), so an Indian band's performance was not considered patriotic. If that is indeed the real reason, then its nonsensical.
Fully agree with Truth Teller! High time for establishment to get their act right & start living in 21st Century instead of STONE AGES.
Somebody mentioned in the comments that it's a reciprocal action.. reciprocal to what?
Because India made Veena Malik a bigger star then pakistan could have ever imagined? Or because made Ali Zafar a big bollywood star? or Given Rahat Fateh Ali khan and other singers bigger and batter oppertunities??!! Please enlighten us Indians as we are so naive and don't understand all the wrongs we Indians are doing to you?!! (in context of the artist exchange and opportunities provided to each other)!!
Sad! We surely are very petty minded whereas Indians are BIG hearted.
very very bad step. we should make ways for bringing people closer. NOT DIVIDE THEM!
@Sadqay Jawaan: "We will reciprocate Mistreatment and reaction will be equal and Opposite. "
Pakistani singers like Ghulam Ali, Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and actors like Veena, Ali Zafar arfe performing in India all the time. If you were reciprocating you would not have denied the visa. But clearly Pakistani authorities just believe in taking but not giving.
All the foreigners are security risk and they are potential and alluring targets for kidnappers. And all the crowded events are tempting, drooling prospects for the suicide bombers.
For once, good work !!
PS: I am told that LeT guys are asking everyone when the Bangladesh cricket team is visiting Pakistan....
“everyone in Pakistan knew Euphoria was coming” .
Really? :D. I just learnt about it now. Talk about exaggerating.
I expect, It was for the safety and well being of the band that NOC was not given. Imagine if a terrorist harmed the Indian band, all the progress made in improving relationship between India and Pakistan would be undone. What a pity though!!
@yasir ch
We won't even give a flying heck, you see!
@Patrik: great reply @Mina: please read patrik's comment.
What in the world is wrong with these people! Euphoria was coming to LUMS and they denied him? Are they in their senses? He is probably the greatest most humble musician there ever was! I caught him at a concert in Mumbai and he stayed back to play a full hour longer even though he originally had only 15 mins of up time. Then after the event, I caught him on the way out, he stood back to take a picture with us, even though he was running late, and he took it in as candid a fashion as any, he stayed till we made sure it wasn't blurry, or bad, and it was, so he took another. And once we affirmed it was good, he left, as if he was a long lost friend. This is a true star with the greatest voice of modern times. He NEEDS to come here!
Copied from the comments on the Times of India report.
"As the Patron of the society that invited Euphoria to LUMS I would like to clarify a few issues. The society was extremely keen to have Euphoria perfom in Lahore but unfortunately the visa regime on both sides is such that the process is complicated and time consuming. It is not a question of one country being more 'tough' than the other. Visa regimes are reciprocal and just last week we managed to get an NOC issued for an Indian academic. Tomorrow another will be visiting and later on next month yet another academic will come to LUMS. The band had unfortunately not applied for their visa officially therefore the question of the NOC did not arise. A shortage of time meant that this time the visit was not possible. Regardless, as a University we believe that culture and learning have no boundaries and we will continue to try and promote cross border exchanges and hope that both government's will look to ease visa issues for people on both sides of the border."
ALI KHAN , Patron LUMS LMA.
You need to be either 1. A known underworld don e.g Dawood Ibrahim 2. Osama bin laden To get NOC from Pakistan. Otherwise you are security concern! What a joke this country has become!
hmmm... NOC was denied based on Security concerns.. how is it then PCB is running around the globe begging teams to come play on their soil? If Pakistan govt can't provide security to a concert just one day, how can they provide security to a cricket series which has much higher profile and hence higher threat.. People in power are missing some forward thinking abilities... There are too many repercussions in international society if you deny something on security concerns..
Idiotic morons. What would you do if they stop issuing visas to Atif Aslam, Ali Azmat and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
Very Good!!! I had always been a fierce critic of Rehman Malik But this is the Only action he has got right. I think this is a good reply to India to mistreat many Pakistani visiting artists including beating up Comedian Shakil Siddiqui. As compare to that , It's Just Nothing But a good step forward to remind India that We will reciprocate Mistreatment and reaction will be equal and Opposite. Good Job Rehman Malik!!!
and, “everyone in Pakistan knew Euphoria was coming”....LOL,seriously?well,I came to know the band's name through this article;)My bad..:)..N,by da way,my Indian brothers have no security concerns what-so-ever when it cumz to their own advantage(better opportunities for Pop music in Pak.)n,in other things we are the "threat"..
Hilarious it is
oh plzzzzzzz..don' take everything to Mullahs and all..Everybody knows the Indians are the first ones to scream about bad security conditions in Pakistan(whether in Cricket or anything else).So,how could the Interior ministry take any sort ov risk by letting the band come in a public function.I think it's rather a gud and safe decsion
Good work!!! We have better singers. Ahmed jahanzeb, esakhelvi, abida parveen. Call them rather!
Please give him visa. He is a singer and coming on invitation. It will be against public wishes if he is denied visa.
The mullahs don't authorize NOC's. The Invisible Soldiers of Islam get to decide who is safe for our country. The interior ministry only executes the final verdict and doesn't know the details. Indian singers are a threat to the ideological sovereignty of Pakistan, because it would look funny if we Muslims could not live with Hindus but can enjoy their songs! Ideology should not look funny.
Singing 'aage jaane ram kya hoga' must have irked the mullahs.
Good work Interior Ministry of Pakistan .... just the right move !