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Ali Zafar has written an open letter to event organisers asking them to put an end to "a recurring culture of special or VIP seating areas at concerts".

Late last week, Ali Zafar and Atif Aslam's concert at IoBM received criticism for barring student attendees from the designated VIP section closer to the stage, which was reserved for the head of staff and faculty.

In his open letter, Ali says this kind of set-up "defeats the purpose" of his performances.

He wrote: "Please appreciate that as a performer, I cannot help but feel this defeats the very purpose of having artists such as myself perform for audiences where both of us are denied any direct interaction.

"Having this physical divide at concerts then goes against the very spirit of equality we should be imparting. Concerts are arranged mostly for students to be able to enjoy a form of healthy entertainment and by having them stand huge distances from the stage to allow for other more 'special' guests, I feel is setting a very wrong precedent."

The singer concluded with a plea to allow the 'real audience' to stand in front.

"It is my humble request to you then not to have this VIP area in front of the stage and instead allow the real audience, the students and fans, to be front and center."

While we appreciate Ali Zafar's views, it's unclear whether the singer is against VIP culture in general or just when it prevents him from interacting with young concert goers. VIP sections are a very common feature in a majority of concerts here and worldwide, with tickets costing extra compared to regular seating. Is the issue here being an impromptu VIP at IoBM?