Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Atif Aslam misses Indian fans amid decade-long India ban
There is a famous singer named Atif Aslam from a country called Pakistan.
Many people in India used to love his songs from Indian movies.
Almost ten years ago, India stopped letting Pakistani singers and actors work there.
This happened because India and Pakistan were not getting along after some scary attacks.
Movie groups in India made rules saying members should not hire Pakistani artists until things got better.
Atif says his Indian fans still listen to his songs, some using special internet tools called VPNs, and some share CDs with friends.
He told his fans that he misses them, even though he doesn't miss working in India.
He also said he is thankful for the ban because it pushed him to make his own music.
Atif became famous in India with songs like Aadat and Woh Lamhe, starting around 2005.
He explained that Indian artists are now also banned from working in Pakistan.
In a YouTube chat with Kris Fade, Atif Aslam said he has been banned from working in India for almost 10 years.
The Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) passed a 2016 resolution barring its members from hiring Pakistani artists until India-Pakistan relations normalized.
In February 2019, after the Pulwama attack killed 40 CRPF personnel, the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) announced a 'total ban' on Pakistani artists.
Aslam said his Indian fans listen to his music via VPN and share burned CDs, and that he misses his fans, though not working in India.
He thanked those who banned him for enabling him to make his own music, and noted that Indian artists are also banned in Pakistan.
- Who
- Pakistani singer Atif Aslam, who spoke to Kris Fade on his YouTube channel; the restrictions were enacted by the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) and the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA).
- What
- Atif Aslam discussed the nearly 10-year ban on Pakistani artists working in India and said he misses his Indian fans.
- When
- In a recent YouTube interview; the original restriction came after the 2016 Uri terror attack, with additional restrictions in February 2019.
- Where
- India and Pakistan; the interview was published on Kris Fade's YouTube channel.
- Why
- Restrictions followed heightened tensions after the Uri terror attack in 2016 and the Pulwama attack in 2019, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
Cultural-exchange advocates
Ban supporters
Ban on Pakistani artists in Indian entertainment
Cultural-exchange advocates
Music and art should cross borders; fans and artists lose out on cultural exchange, and Atif's continued popularity in India shows audiences still want his music.
Ban supporters
Restricting Pakistani artists is a justified response to terror attacks and heightened tensions, protecting national interests until relations between the countries normalize.
Who imposed the ban
Cultural-exchange advocates
Aslam states that the ban was a decision of the Indian government against Pakistani artists.
Ban supporters
The articles attribute the restrictions to industry bodies - IMPPA's 2016 resolution and AICWA's 2019 announcement - rather than a formal government order.
- Artist
- Atif Aslam
- Ban duration
- Nearly 10 years
- Original ban
- 2016 IMPPA resolution not to hire Pakistani artists until India-Pakistan relations normalized
- Additional restriction
- February 2019 'total ban' by AICWA after the Pulwama attack
- Interview venue
- Kris Fade's YouTube channel
- Breakthrough songs
- Aadat (Kalyug, 2005) and Woh Lamhe (Zeher)
- Reciprocal ban
- Indian artists are also banned in Pakistan
- Fan workaround
- Fans listen via VPN and distribute burned CDs