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Asim Azhar landed in lukewarm water on Friday after commenting on a video of controversial content creator Rajab Butt which used his music in the background. The singer has since issued a semi-apology saying he “should’ve been more aware”.

On Thursday, Butt posted a video on his Instagram account with Azhar’s rendition of the classic Bollywood song ‘Tu Hai Wohi’ playing in the background. The controversial content creator was mouthing the words and dancing to the music.

In the comments, Azhar appreciated Butt, saying, “Shehzada lag raha hai mera bhai (My brother is looking like a prince). Thank you so much my love.” The comments received mixed reactions due to Butt’s history of controversy and legal trouble.

Azhar later issued an apology on his Instagram stories. “Should’ve been more aware. Should’ve read the room better. My bad, fam,” the singer said.

He also took a moment to clarify that his appreciation for Butt using his music did not equal endorsement of the content creator’s other actions and was simply a gesture of mutual love between artists.

“But just for the record, thanking someone and showing love in return doesn’t mean my views and values are the same as anybody. But I understand and resonate with the concern of some of my fans and supporters, and I promise it wasn’t that deep. [It was] just a gesture of showing love in return,” the singer wrote.

Azhar urged fans to enjoy “bangers and sweet mangoes”.

Butt has faced several cases in court including on charges of promoting online gambling applications, hurting religious sentiments and unlawful custody of a lion cub. In May, the Islamabad High Court ordered his name to be removed from the passport control list.

The content creator maintains one of the larger fan followings in Pakistan with nine million followers on YouTube and a further 2.9 million on Instagram.