Qawwal gets bail after FIR over singing a song linked to ‘Prisoner 804’ at Lahore event

LAHORE: A qawwal has been booked for performing a song linked to “Prisoner 804” at a government-supported cultural event in Lahore, while a court has granted him interim bail, according to police and court officials.

Faraz Khan, whose full name is Faraz Amjad, secured interim bail until January 13 from an additional sessions judge. Appearing before the court, he said he would not have sung the piece had he known it could result in a criminal case. He told the judge that the song was never intended to provoke controversy.

According to the police, the World City of Lahore Authority organised a musical and cultural evening at Shalimar Gardens, where Faraz Khan and other performers presented qawwali. During the programme, he sang a song associated with “Adiala Jail prisoner 804”, prompting officials to halt the performance and later register a case.

An FIR was lodged at the Shalimar police station on the complaint of Zamir, the in-charge of Shalimar Gardens, under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. The complainant stated that the event, titled Chandni Raatain, was meant to promote culture, music and harmony, and explicitly prohibited political content or slogans.

The FIR said that on February 3, Faraz Khan and his fellow performers deliberately sang a politically provocative song without permission. It claimed the performance stirred excitement among the audience, raised concerns about public order, and undermined the cultural and non-political nature of the event. The complaint further alleged that the act damaged the credibility and neutrality of a government institution.

Police said the song was viewed as an attempt to incite the public and disrupt public order, describing it as irresponsible and beyond legal limits. Faraz Khan has maintained that he sang the piece on audience demand but was still booked.

The event at Shalimar Gardens was open to the public, and the incident has renewed debate over the boundaries of artistic expression at state-backed cultural programmes. Police said an investigation is under way and the matter is being examined from multiple legal angles.

The case adds to a series of recent actions involving artists and content creators whose work has been deemed controversial, further fuelling discussion about freedom of expression and tolerance in the cultural space.