The hallowed classic Ko Ko Korina touted as the first true Pakistani pop song got a cover version in the massively popular music show Coke Studio. Considered a sacrilege by netizens in Pakistan, the ‘horrendous’ cover version has created a furore. The version has elicited the red, hot rage of Pakistan’s audience. In a first of sorts, Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari also jumped on the bandwagon to diss the song as a "massacre" of the classic song.
In another bizarre turn of events, Mohmina Mustehsan and up-and-coming actor Ahad Raza Mir responded to the criticism by invoking Spiderman’s Uncle Ben!
The netizens of Pakistan are now in the midst of a ‘human rights’ storm over a pop song beyond the artistic critique.
Shahbaz Taseer, the son of a politician, who was murdered because he opposed Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws also leaped into the fray.
Rafay Mahmood, cultural journalist at the Express Tribune newspaper weighed in saying that ‘it was as if Ed Sheeran had covered Queen's classic Bohemian Rhapsody and botched it’. "It's no longer about music. It's about how badly can you hate Mohmina and Ahad Raza Mir," he added.
With inputs from BBC News.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)