Faisal Farooque

PEMRA has issued a show-cause notice to Geo News for airing content related to the legendary subcontinent singer Asha Bhosle. It has always been customary to revisit and celebrate the work of iconic artists when reporting on them. In fact, for an artist of Asha Bhosle’s stature, we should have shared even more of her timeless and memorable songs than we did. Yet, Pakistan’s electronic media regulator, Pemra, has chosen to restrict this. Art, like knowledge, is a shared heritage of humanity and it should not be confined by borders. Asha Bhosle herself admired Pakistan’s legendary singer Noor Jahan, whom she fondly called her “elder sister.” She collaborated with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and brought to life the poetry of great Urdu poets like Nasir Kazmi. In times of war and conflict, art and artists should not become casualties. Intellectuals, musicians, and creators are often the very voices that stand against hatred and division, and the ones who bring people closer together.

Tributes to Asha bhosle Howrah Bridge 1958 Music OP Picturised on Madhubala This song is credited with cementing Asha's image as the premier voice for sultry, cabaret-style songs, marking a shift from her earlier singing style. Considered one of the defining hits of that era.