Targeting the army?: Beygairat Brigade’s new song partially banned in Pakistan

Band says the ISPs are helping their cause by making the video controversial.


Farooq Baloch/sher Ali April 27, 2013
Ali Aftab says the internet providers were helping the bands’ cause and any attempt to band the video would backfire.

LAHORE/ KARACHI: Beygairat Brigade’s new song Dhinak Dhinak, touching on the power of the armed forces in Pakistan, has been banned by some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) across the country, confirmed telecom sources on Saturday.

An email sent by the Enforcement Division of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) directed the ISPs to block the video available on websites including Vimeo and Facebook.

The band confirmed the development and said that the video was completely banned on internet services and a disclaimer saying “This video is not suitable for viewers inside Pakistan” appears every time the video is accessed on Vimeo.

Ali Aftab, the band’s front man, said that the internet providers were simply helping the bands’ cause and any attempt to band the video would backfire.

“They are helping us and making this video controversial,” said Aftab.

“Our video is asking for across-the-board accountability,” says Aftab. He also emphasised that the no television channel is airing the video, due to apprehensions that it may be too critical of the armed forces.

Several online activists and supporters of the band also expressed disdain over the video’s unavailability. Columnist and writer Tazeen Javed also wrote a blog titled “The Ultimate Beyghairti”.

“The Dhinak Dhinak video came back online after a few hours of ban. May be it was the cheeky message at the end of the video where the band asked their fans to not like the song – “No need to like the video, we will be dead any way” – that saved them,” she wrote.

COMMENTS (37)

Poorna | 10 years ago | Reply

Nice song!!!

Disgusted | 10 years ago | Reply @Sandip: You have taken the discussion to another level, and this is not the space for It. All decisions are collective and have always included civilians, though admittedly they may not have carried much weight, not surprising given their level of incompetence and susceptibility to be manipulated by corruption and greed. Be that as it may it is time to stop blaming the Armed forces for all the real or imagined ills of the country. The civilians have had their chance to correct them and failed miserably. Our soldiers are dying at the hands of our enemies whosoever they may be or whichever border they may be at. It is irrevant that they were once our " assets ", remember there are no permanent friends just permanent interests. As for lording it over, could someone have lorded over us any more than the last civilian government that bankrupted our country with their greed, and made us slaves of internal and external masters. Once again shame on those who denigrate our heroes and hide behind pseudo elitism.
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