Pakistani folk singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, whose video depicting him slapping and assaulting a band member has gone viral, serves as an ambassador for the British Asian Trust, an organization focused on addressing domestic violence, as reported by a British newspaper.
The anti-violence charity, established by King Charles III, has released a statement addressing the serious allegations, stating, “We take all accusations of abuse seriously and will investigate this matter urgently.”
The footage captures Rahat physically attacking a man with slaps, kicks, and even using his shoes, despite the person’s pleas to stop. The incident occurred in Houston, Texas, last year.
Singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan torturing his worker !#RahatFatehAliKhan pic.twitter.com/x85D6QLNhw
— Shehzad Qureshi (@ShehxadGulHasen) January 27, 2024
Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, Rahat responded to the controversy on Saturday night, offering a clarification that the reality of the matter differed from what was apparent in the video.
Meanwhile, the man identified as his student explained that the “bottle” mentioned in the viral video contained water given by a spiritual leader, which he had misplaced. Describing Rahat as a father and teacher, the student insisted that someone was attempting to blackmail and defame his teacher.
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Rahat addressed the issue, stating in a video on his official Instagram account, “The video is an internal matter of a teacher and a student. We do love a student over a good deed, as well as punish him if he commits a mistake.” He clarified that he had forgotten a bottle of water provided by his spiritual healer and apologized to his student, identified as Naveed Husnain.
In a separate video, Husnain confirmed Rahat’s apology and expressed embarrassment over the incident. He emphasized Rahat’s role as his teacher, asserting that Rahat could do whatever he wanted with him.
Notably, Rahat has met King Charles in his capacity as the trust’s ambassador. The trust, founded by Charles in 2007, focuses on addressing poverty and fostering community relations.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is widely regarded as the greatest living singer of Qawwali, a genre of music prominent in Pakistan with roots in the poetry and music of Islamic mystics, known as Sufis.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
