‘One Pound Fish’ man working on PML-N’s election song

Shahid Nazir prepares song on Nawaz Sharif highlighting his contributions.

LAHORE: After scaling the charts with his ode to cut-price produce, the “One Pound Fish” singer is to enter the slippery world of politics with an election song for the country's main opposition party.

Muhammad Shahid Nazir said his family had a long association with the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) and he was working on tunes for the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as he campaigns for the May 11 general election.

"I have almost prepared an election song on Nawaz Sharif highlighting his contributions to Pakistan," Nazir told AFP.

"I will present the video of this song to him very soon and it will be up to him how to use it."

Nazir reached number 29 in the British pop charts for "One Pound Fish", which he originally composed to encourage shoppers at the market in east London where he worked to part with a pound (around $1.60) for a fish.

The song became a YouTube hit after someone filmed him singing it at the market and Warner Music signed him up for a record deal in the hope of getting the coveted Christmas number one spot in the charts.

On his return to Pakistan in December, hundreds of people showed up at Lahore airport to shower him with rose petals, and he has since adapted "One Pound Fish" to promote phone services in TV and radio adverts.

But Nazir said that while he supported the PML-N, widely seen as favourites in the upcoming polls, for now he has no plans to enter politics as a candidate.

"I like PML-N and Nawaz's agenda and definitely I have interest in politics but at the moment, I am focusing on my music and singing," he said.

Nazir also plans to spread the joys of "One Pound Fish" to India, Pakistan's neighbour and traditional rival, saying he had almost finalised a deal with a promoter.