PESHAWAR: The city police violently disrupted a private concert of Peshawar’s leading singer, Karan Khan, over the weekend, triggering a storm of protest and remonstration on the social media on part of some, while others supporting the police action.

On Friday night, police raided a music party in the neighbourhood of Nazirabad that fell in the Pishtakhara police dominion, saying it took action after the locals complained that a musical concert was held on Shab-i-Barat. They said they did so in order to preempt a possible clash between the locals and the organisers of the concert held at the farmhouse of Dilshad Afridi, a local resident.

“Police took action after complaints from the local people,” said a spokesperson of Pishtakhara police. “The people had gone to ask the organisers to stop the party several time but they did not do so.”

In addition to the locals who also asked via the social media platforms for action against the party, the police also received complaints from a seminary in the neighbourhood of the house, where the concert was held.

Official says action taken after local people’s complaints to avoid clash

However, the organisers said the police broke into the party, smashing musical instruments and arresting people. They said a bag full of money was also lost in the melee that ensued in wake of the police raid.

“We had gathered on the night of March 18 to celebrate the wedding of my friend with Karan Khan performing for some 100 guests,” said Dilshad Afridi. “The police suddenly raided the venue, manhandling the guests and breaking the instruments.”

The police said none of this happened. There was no use of force but the musicians were taken carefully to the police station under custody to protect them from the angry seminary students and for fear of confrontation. Later, Karan Khan and his band of musicians were released. According to the police spokesperson, nobody approached them to register a case for losing a money bag.

The incident led to heated protests on social media, amidst objections that the police action was uncalled for, with both political and social activists weighing in with the argument.

Mohsin Dawar of the National Democratic Movement took to Twitter saying, “Strongly condemn police attack on @karankhan music show in Peshawar. Police in other provinces provide security to music and cultural events while police in Peshawar attacks such events.” Dawar demanded that immediate punitive action should be taken against those who raided the concert.

Some of the Twitterati found parallels for the police raid in the Taliban intolerance for music in Afghanistan. Others, like Aimal Wali of the Awami National Party, said the ANP would raise the issue on the assembly floor to “find out who used the police as a Taliban force”.

The SHO police said the organisers were asked to report any loss or damage to property but instead, they took to the social media to bring it a bad name.

The Pishtakhara Islahi Committee, a local social welfare organisation, lauded the police raid, saying it was taken against song and dance on Shab-i-Barat.

Meanwhile, artists, rights activists and literati also took strong exception to the alleged harassment of noted Pashto folk singer Karan Khan during the musical concert.

They urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to take notice of the incident. Khadim Hussain, provincial secretary culture of Awami National Party, told this scribe the ‘attack’ on the musical concert was unjustified and termed it a raid on Pakhtun culture. He said his party would raise voice against this incident.

“According to my information, local police officials were involved in the incident. Karan Khan is a respectable artist and raid on his live performance, breaking of musical instruments and denigrating wedding guests were in no way permissible in a Pakhtun society. The high-ups should take notice of this incident,” Mr Hussain said.

Social activist Shafeeq Gigyani in a statement condemned the incident and also announced a protest in front of the Peshawar Press Club on Monday (today).

“Police officials headed by the SHO raided the musical concert, beat up the musicians, broke their musical instruments and got away with a bag full of money,” Mr Gigyani alleged.

When contacted, Hunari Tolana Welfare Society president Rashid Khan said the artist community condemned the raid against Karan Khan and his colleagues and asked KP authorities to ensure security of artists.

“The incident has created a sense of insecurity among the artists,” he maintained.

Tariq Pakhtunyar, a young poet, said that artists and musicians had been under threat in KP for the last several decades and no steps had been taken to ensure their security.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2022