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After a video of Asim Azhar appearing to lose his temper at a concert began making the rounds online, the singer took to Instagram early Wednesday to address it himself, before, as he put it, the narrative spiralled any further.

“Aik adad video chal rahi hai mere concert pe ghussa honay ki (There is a video going viral of me getting angry at a concert ). I don’t usually post any justifications, but this feels important, isse pehle mazeed misinformation phehle (before more misinformation is spread),” he wrote on his Instagram story.

The clip in question showed Azhar stopping mid-show during his concert at Ilma University in Karachi on February 9 to reprimand a man attempting to climb onto the stage. In the video, the singer is heard saying, “Beta stage pe anay ke liye bohat menat karni parti hai (You have to work really hard to get on stage),” before asking him to come up. When the man identified himself as a bouncer, Azhar responded sharply: “Tou kyun arahe ho? Wo sab pagal hain? Aap bouncer ho tou unke saath raho na. Bouncer ho tou meri awam se ziada special nahi ho aap. (Then why are you coming here? If you are a bouncer, then stay with them [the audience]. You are not more special than my public if you are a bouncer).”

While the exchange struck many online as unnecessarily harsh, Azhar offered context in his clarification. The ‘Meri Zindagi Hai Tu’ singer reiterated that he prioritises the safety of his audience at every show, noting that “not once have I not stopped a song midway if I see anything wrong happening in the crowd”.

According to Azhar, the man he addressed was not a fan but a member of his own security team. He alleged that the bouncer had been repeatedly pushing women and teenagers in the crowd throughout the evening, something he had been observing from the stage.

“Isse pehle main kuch aur kehta, wo stage pe hi agaye jump karke (Before I could have said anything he jumped and came onto the stage),” he explained, adding that when confronted, the man yelled, “abay main bouncer houn (dude, I’m a bouncer),” which, he admitted, triggered his reaction.

Azhar criticised what he perceived as the bouncer’s attempt to assert authority over concertgoers, saying that if he was hired to manage the crowd, he should have focused on doing his job rather than pretending to be “superior” to his fans by getting on stage.

Even so, the singer acknowledged that his delivery could have been softer. “Maybe next time thoda araam se (a little gently) lol but still will,” he added, making it clear that he intends to continue calling out behaviour he believes compromises fan safety.

He ended his statement with an apology to those who may have felt uncomfortable watching the exchange. “Sorry if I got carried away with my emotions, lekin zaroori bhi tha (but it was important too),” he wrote, reiterating that he wants all his fans “to feel safe, heard and seen by me and my team, when they attend a show”.