Ali Gul Pir is delightfully vocal when it comes to comedy and satire and he has never shied away from speaking his mind and heart, whether against waderas (feudals), harassers, extremists and even heads of state; Modi, in particular. As a celebrity, social commentary is his brand and satire his mode of communication.
As expected, it usually doesn’t go down well, resulting in frequent threats.
“A self proclaimed ‘rockstar’ didn’t like that I called him an ‘alleged harasser’ and made a joke about him,” Ali recently tweeted. “If I got arrested for every satire piece I’ve written, I’d be a resident of Karachi Central Jail.”
This reaction came in response to a summon that the rapper apparently received from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for libel and defamation. AGP took to social media and posted a statement, which noted that he has already given his statement to the FIA and he plans to fully comply with the law.
“In Pakistan, some people have so much power that they try to silence you if you don’t agree with them,” he wrote, adding that he is just one example.
“A certain celebrity, in this case feels we can be silenced by being served these notices,” Pir continued. “Should we go to jail just for voicing our opinion within the boundaries of law? Or should this ‘hero’ realize that freedom of expression is a fundamental right and that you can’t react with intimidation if someone calls you an ‘alleged harasser’. This is a classic case of those with influence trying to suppress dissent.”
Ali added that he has never been scared of threats and he is not going to back down if someone can’t take a joke.
Stressing on everyone’s right to freedom of expression within legal boundaries, Ali Gul Pir concluded, “I hope the law takes its course and this elitist realizes that he can’t silence those who disagree with him. We live in a country where everyone is entitled to their opinions.”
