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Bilal Saeed, Saba Qamar apologise for video shoot at Wazir Khan mosque

Bilal Saeed, Saba Qamar apologise for video shoot at Wazir Khan mosque

"I swear we neither danced nor played music at the mosque," the singer said, adding he'll be removing the sequence from the video
Updated 10 Aug, 2020

Saba Qamar and Bilal Saeed fans had been eagerly awaiting the duo's collaboration, 'Qubool'; Qamar was all set to appear in the music video alongside the singer and also make her directorial debut.

As a brief clip from the upcoming video went viral, people on social media were enraged instead. The fact that bits of the video had been shot at the historic Wazir Khan mosque did not go down well with their followers. Many voiced their harsh criticism, stating that the shoot was "offensive" and "disrespectful".

Apologising to his fans, Saeed took to Instagram to clear out the misunderstanding on behalf of the entire team.

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on

"Saba Qamar and I recently shot a nikkah sequence at Wazir Khan mosque which created a huge misunderstanding. A lot of people were hurt, and the impression sent was that we were dancing at the mosque, or playing music there," said the No Make Up singer.

"I would never in my wildest thought imagine doing something as offensive as this. Keeping Allah as my witness, I swear that neither did we dance, nor play music at the mosque. The mosque administration there can also confirm this."

"We do realise that unintentionally, during taking a picture, we might have offended someone with our small move," he added. "However, it was an unintentional mistake on our part. Just a small move for a picture. Saba and I are also humans, and like any other human beings who make mistakes, we ask Allah for his forgiveness. Allah, too, likes people who repent."

"As a Muslim, if I was in your place, maybe I would also think the same. So we also apologise to you, and hope that you can let this go. As a realisation on our part, I am also removing the entire sequence from the video, and assure you that we won't make such mistakes in the near future," he reiterated.

"I had never imagined my name would be associated with something like this. As a Muslim, I am extremely regretful of this and apologise on behalf of all of us, including Saba and our entire team."

Previously, Saba too, had taken to Twitter to explain the situation.

"This is also the only sequence that was shot at the historical Wazir Khan Mosque. It’s a prologue to the music video featuring a nikkah scene. It was neither shot with any sort of playback music nor has it been edited to the music track," she explains.

"The BTS video that's been circulated on social media was just a circular movement to click stills for the poster of 'Qubool' depicting a happily married couple right after their nikkah."

On Sunday, the Punjab Auqaf department suspended the mosque manager after Chief Minister Usman Buzdar took notice of the shoot and sought a report from the minister concerned and the department's secretary.

Pledging that he would not let the sanctity of the mosque be violated under any circumstances, Chief Minister Buzdar ordered that a comprehensive investigation be undertaken and those responsible for the incident identified.

Comments

dr kamran Aug 10, 2020 03:16pm
saba qamar has for sometime gesture giving such . she should apologies.
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Nasir Aug 10, 2020 03:37pm
How many days it took to show regret. The repentance has been shown after the govt has came into action. Its the time we discourage such actor permanently from our viewership.
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Nick, NY Aug 10, 2020 03:45pm
Excuses, Excuses; should have known the protocols of visiting a mosque better!
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RationalBabu Aug 10, 2020 03:48pm
Storm in a teacup!
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John Aug 10, 2020 03:58pm
No messing around with UNESCO heritage sites!
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Ali Mehdi Aug 10, 2020 05:04pm
The apology is due from the duo. It’s an aftermath of the public anger on violating the norm. Why you have to go to Masjid.
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Shahid Aug 10, 2020 05:17pm
Most people conduct Nikah at bride's parent home. Why should a filmi-couple conduct fake Nikah at mosque. Did all sensibilities of all actors, camera crew and mosque administrators involved in this mock falsehood go to deep slumber? Why provide knowingly any reason for later apologies to cover up after the questionable act?
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Ifti Malik Aug 10, 2020 06:10pm
The historic Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore has many old Sufi affiliations and I'm sure the founder (Hakim Ilm ud din Ansari aka 'Wazir Khan') would not have condoned any sincere and dignified expression of love. This mosque is itself an embodiment of love.
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FR Canada Aug 10, 2020 06:19pm
Should have thought before doing it
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Ehsan Aug 10, 2020 06:31pm
No words to describe where we are headed sorry to see one has to prove one’s faith in front of humans
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Ali Mehdi Aug 10, 2020 06:33pm
So many similar incidents have taken which resulted in dire consequences for the people offending the sentiments of the masses. Whereby you two aware of the folly that can result in a big trouble for the two of you. Or was it a deliberate attempt to stir a controversy to gain quick popularity for the video. It’s analogue to stirring a hornets nest.
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Hamz Aug 10, 2020 06:54pm
Best line of the the article , CM asking for a full report ! Gr8 job done
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Waseem Bahadur Aug 10, 2020 07:56pm
Shame on both of you.
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well-wisher Aug 10, 2020 07:59pm
Accept their apology and forgive despite the fact that they did not do anything untoward to offend any one. THEY ARE responsible people and have acted such.
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Ahmed Aug 10, 2020 08:25pm
Fanaticism at its best.
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Farooq Ahmad Aug 10, 2020 09:51pm
Not enough. They should be legally prosecuted.
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Sobia Aug 10, 2020 10:09pm
Mosques are for real nikahs,real prayers and real etikaaf not for pretending these for movies . Are production houses and studioes not enough for show business?
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Zeeshan Ahmed Aug 10, 2020 11:03pm
It's a masjid, not a movie set. Surprised they expected anything but anger from the public.
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Sid Aug 10, 2020 11:29pm
What about all the shameful people who under the guise of beards ruin the sanctity of the mosques when they molest children? - things need to be put in perspective - when you uphold Islamic values properly yourself only then you should dictate to others
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AW Aug 11, 2020 12:11am
Amazingly disturbing is that some people including the CM punjab has a made a big deal of this innocent event. Intolerance and rigidity are climaxing in the country- very unfortunate
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Irfan ul Huq Aug 11, 2020 01:22am
It is not the picture which is obscene. It is the Viewers mind which is dirty.
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John Aug 11, 2020 03:46am
Totally disgusting!
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Awaz.... Aug 11, 2020 04:32am
Forgiveness occurs in your heart and requires a conscious and intentional willingness to release the negative thoughts and feelings against others. It doesn’t mean that you must accept bad treatment or that you don't need to employ appropriate consequences. You can clear your heart of anger and also maintain healthy boundaries. You can truly forgive while also communicating in an emotionally mature way about the hurtful impact of the situation. If you have a hard time empathizing with others, you may find it especially tough to forgive anyone who has hurt you. Although you can never fully know why another person acts a certain way, if you practice empathy, you can view the situation rationally and try to see it from his or her point of view. To do this, you need to see the best in other people instead of jumping to conclusions about their character or intentions. Although forgiving and letting go is difficult, it is important in order to find peace of mind and happiness.
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Khan Aug 11, 2020 05:41am
They need to leave this Entertainment Industry, I have fear for their lives.
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Khan Aug 11, 2020 08:27am
Shame on them!
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Nix Aug 11, 2020 11:08am
Pathetic.
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kums Aug 11, 2020 12:29pm
A ministerial investigation for a photo shoot? So much resource and spare time available.
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shakeel mahota Aug 11, 2020 01:58pm
Who said majority of our nation is moderate?
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Eqbal bawany Aug 11, 2020 03:29pm
What a shame
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FAZ Aug 12, 2020 09:58am
No body asking who gave the permission in the first place?
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Vikram Aug 12, 2020 03:10pm
They should opologize.
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Zee Aug 12, 2020 10:17pm
Actually, they should be punished and should not be allowed to make any money from this video. They have done this on purpose to gain publicity and to make money.
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