Fawad Khan’s statement on ban of Pak artistes termed ‘diplomatic’, ignites war of words

Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, who was in the eye of the storm following the Uri attack, had refrained from commenting on the attacks despite the media’s persistent attempts.

However, on Friday, the actor took to his social media account and gave his first statement on the controversial issue of Pakistani artistes ban in India.

Within hours of sharing the post, Fawad received thousands of replies from people on both sides of the border.

While the post drew criticism from many, who termed it as ‘too diplomatic’, others stood by the actor and his stance on the subject.

The 34-year-old actor took to his official Facebook account to issue a statement regarding the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association’s (IMPPA) decision to temporarily ban Pakistani artistes working in Indian cinema in the wake of the killing of 19 Indian soldiers during the Uri terror attack.

The statement in his Facebook post read, “I’ve been in Lahore since July as my wife and I had been expecting our second child. I’ve received numerous requests from the media and from well wishers worldwide asking me for my thoughts on the sad incidents that took place in the past few weeks. As a father of two little children, I pray and wish like many others that together we can build and live in a more peaceful world. I believe we owe it to our children who will shape our tomorrow. This is the first time I have spoken on the matter. Please disregard any other words attributed to me during this time because I have not said them. I thank all my fans and fellow artists from Pakistan, India and people in general all over the world who have shown continued support for their belief in love and understanding to unite a divisive world.”

Within minutes, reactions came flooding in as one follower commented in the thread saying,

“Lol What a balance.your statement is even more Diplomatic than diplomats you are playing very well on the edge for your future and that’s good for you but sometimes you have to show your feelings and emotions as Patriot for your country….!!!” (sic)

Some of the other disappointed statements included “This is called elegant diplomacy. 🙂 He can’t make both Indians and pakistanis happy at the same time” and “Stop acting innocent! People in India loved you always, supported you even when half the population stood against you,and what you did? You betrayed them by acting innocent in India and just when you reached the pakistani border your statements changed.” (sic)

Meanwhile, others continued to support the actor.

“I love ur act…no matter wht gossips come out in media…u r a good actor…i ‘ll b a fan of urs as always…i m an indian…Also being pakistani does not mean that you are a terrorist,” (sic) one fan wrote.

“Oh my god guys when everyone is fighting if someone doesn’t want to do the same thing and saying thing beautifully. Why we are accusing him,” (sic) commented another.

“The whole period shortly before expecting a child is highly nerve-wracking for fathers. One’s whole concentration is focused on just that. One is busy focusing on whether the pregnancy is going OK and has to support the mother.” (sic) wrote another.

While fans from both sides continue to wage a war of words, the bright side for the actor, apart from become a father for the second time, is that IMPPA has not raised objections on the release of Fawad Khan starrer ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’.

Fawad’s post: