Film planned in Pakistan to glorify slain Burhan Wani

The Asian Age.  | Pawan Bali

India, All India

The title role of Wani in the film is to be played by Pakistan’s ruling party PTI leader and controversial religious preacher Aamir Liaquat Husain.

Burhan Wani

New Delhi: In an attempt to whip up anti-India sentiments and glorify top militants like Burhan Wani, certain elements in Pakistan are planning to make a film on  Wani.

The title role of Wani in the film is to be played by Pakistan’s ruling party PTI leader and controversial religious preacher Aamir Liaquat Husain.

Pakistani actor Ayub Khoso is making the film on Hizbul Mujahideen commander Wani who died during an encounter with security forces in 2016. Wani’s death had plunged Kashmir into unrest in which many civilians, mostly teenagers, were killed and thousands wounded.

Mr Khoso said that the movie will be based on Kashmir and will be issue based.

Televangelist Husain, who is known for making controversial statements had earlier called British-Indian novelist Salman Rushdie as “worthy of death”.

He is famous in Pakistan for hosting religious shows.

Human rights groups had severely criticised him in past when during a show he declared Ahmadis as “non-Muslims and worthy of death”. Soon after his show, two Ahmadis were gunned down in Sindh and many suspected that killers were inspired by Mr Husain’s rhetoric.

Mr Husain has also been signed by Pakistan’s official broadcaster PTV to do special Ramadan show which is next month.  

However, Husain has been flayed in Pakistan on social media for playing the role. “He should be shot with real bullets to make it more authentic and Karachi will also get rid of a hypocrite and filthy character,” said one post.

“Giving him this role is in exact spirits of what the movement has been finally rendered to—-mockery, money, fame, industry and a lot of deceit with equal hypocrisy,” said a Tweet. Others wondered how a 49 years old can portray Burhan. “C’mon not this fat cow, Wani was a handsome young lad,” said another tweet.

Read more...