Faraz Khan granted provisional bail as case sparks debate on art, politics and expression
An additional sessions judge granted Faraz Khan interim bail till January 13. PHOTO: FACEBOOK/Faraz Amjad Khan
LAHORE:
A case has been registered against Qawwal Faraz Khan for singing a song linked to “Prisoner 804” during a government-backed music night at Lahore’s Shalimar Gardens, while the singer was granted interim bail, police and court officials said.
An additional sessions judge granted Faraz Khan interim bail till January 13. The qawwal, whose full name is Faraz Amjad, appeared in court and said he would never have sung the song if he had known that a criminal case would be registered. “If I had known that singing this song would lead to a case, I would never have sung it,” he told the court.
According to the police report, the Lahore World City Authority organized a musical and cultural night at Shalimar Gardens, where Faraz Khan and other artists performed qawwali. During the show, the singer performed a song associated with “Adiala Jail Prisoner 804”, prompting authorities to register an FIR against him.
The FIR was lodged at Shalimar Police Station following a complaint by Zamir, in-charge of Shalimar Gardens, and includes various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code.
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In the FIR registered at Baghbanpura police station, the complainant said that the event, titled “Chandni Raatain”, was a purely cultural program aimed at promoting culture, music and harmony. It clearly prohibited political content or slogans.
The complainant alleged that on February 3, during qawwali night, Faraz Khan and his fellow artistes “deliberately and without permission sang a politically provocative song with the lyrics ‘Adiala Jail Qaidy 804’”, after which the management stopped the performance.
The FIR said the song generated enthusiasm among the crowd, raised fears of disturbance of public order, undermined the apolitical and cultural purpose of the event and caused “serious damage to the credibility, neutrality and dignity of a government institution”.
He further said that Faraz Khan’s act was “highly irresponsible, condemnable and beyond legal limits”, describing it as an attempt to incite the public, disturb public order and make a state institution controversial, which he said was a punishable offence.
Faraz Khan has maintained that he sang the song on public demand but was still booked.
The event at Shalimar Gardens was open to the public. The incident has raised questions about the rules governing cultural programs and sparked a new debate about artistic expression.
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Police said an investigation has been launched and the matter is being examined from different angles in accordance with the law.
The case joins a growing list of actions against artists and content creators for work considered controversial.
In August 2024, YouTuber Aun Ali Khosa was reportedly detained at his residence in Lahore after posting a parody video titled “Bill Bill Pakistan” that criticized the government. His whereabouts remained unknown for days despite a Lahore High Court order for his recovery.
Following Khosa’s disappearance, Amnesty International called on the government to “promptly” reveal his whereabouts and ensure his safe return.
Similarly, in May 2024, Kashmiri poet Ahmad Farhad disappeared from his residence after posting poetry critical of the establishment on social media. The case prompted Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the Islamabad High Court to summon the defense secretary and order police to seek statements from intelligence officials.
The court observed that alleged officials sent messages while claiming that the person was not in their custody, questioning whether the country would be governed by spy agencies or according to the law.
