Dawn Images

Content creator and actor Khaqan Shahnawaz has weighed in on the debate surrounding Talha Anjum’s viral Indian flag moment, and he isn’t mincing his words. Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Shahnawaz posted a video message directly addressing the outrage, particularly the aggressive way Nadia Khan confronted the rapper during his recent appearance on Rise and Shine.

“Think about this: if an Indian actor or singer had draped the Pakistani flag on stage and said ‘love for everyone’, do you think that would’ve hurt Pakistan’s state narrative? No, because our state narrative does not say that all Indians hate us,” he said.

According to Shahnawaz, the real discomfort lies across the border, not at home.

“But Talha Anjum draping the Indian flag hurts India’s state narrative because India’s state narrative is that all Pakistanis are terrorists, radicals, and extremists,” he continued. “So when Indians see Talha Anjum on that stage, they’ll think, these are normal people.”

Shahnawaz argued that the backlash in Pakistan, especially from media personalities, ends up mirroring the toxicity we often criticise in the Indian media.

Comparing Khan to notorious Indian anchor Arnab Goswami, he added, “When we Pakistanis see Arnab Goswami, we call him crazy, and we ask why the Indian people allow such media. Similarly, when Nadia Khan sits on TV screaming, ‘Fawad Khan, where are you?’, or when she lashes out at Talha Anjum for using an Indian flag emoji in his tweet, do you think we’re sending a positive image out into the world?” he asked. “Do you think doing that makes Nadia Khan a good Pakistani?”

Adding to the conversation, actor Yasir Hussain also weighed in through an Instagram story, addressing what he called “all the Pakistani Arnab Goswamis”.

“I swear to God this boy is a good Pakistani, and he loves Pakistan,” he wrote in defence of Anjum. “He has made Pakistan proud, that’s why he is invited to perform internationally, and his concerts are attended by Indians too.” Hussain’s message echoed Shahnawaz’s sentiment: the scrutiny directed at Anjum says more about the commentators than the artist himself.

Anjum ignited a full-blown social media storm this past weekend after he was seen draping himself in and then waving the Indian flag during a concert in Nepal. The moment unfolded during a performance of his diss track Kaun Talha, directed at Indian rapper Naezy, when an audience member handed him the flag.

Explaining the situation on Rise and Shine, Anjum said he interpreted the gesture as a sign of support from Indian fans present in the crowd. “In the heat of the moment, I took it. It was respectfully handed to me,” he said. “I did not realise for how many seconds I was standing with the flag.”

But instead of allowing him to explain, Khan’s tone throughout the segment was aggressive, patronising and, at times, hostile. She frequently spoke over Anjum, raised her voice, and framed her questions as if she were interrogating someone accused of a serious crime, not a rapper clarifying a moment on stage.

Many online called it unnecessarily combative, especially given that Anjum had come to apologise.

The initial incident became even more heated when Anjum defended his actions on X, writing, “My heart has no place for hate. My art has no borders. If raising an Indian flag sparks controversy, so be it. I’ll do it again, will never care about the media, the war-mongering governments and their propaganda. Urdu rap is and will always be borderless.”

However, during the live interview, Anjum softened his stance. When co-host Zohaib Hassan asked if his apology was truly unconditional, “with no ifs and buts,” Anjum said, “yes.”

“To everybody whose heart has been hurt by any of my actions, I would like to apologise,” he added. “I am all because of Pakistan.”