KARACHI: Pakistani filmmaker Nabeel Qureshi has urged the government to ask Pakistani actors to seek a no-objection certificate (NoC) prior to signing any Indian projects, following the imposition of a ban by the Indian cinema federation on Pakistani actor Fawad Khan’s Bollywood movie ‘Abir Gulaal.’
The romantic comedy marks Khan’s highly anticipated return to the Indian film industry after almost nine years. The movie starring Khan, who is widely famous in India, alongside Indian actor Vaani Kapoor is scheduled to release on May 9.
However, Indian media reported on Friday that the movie will not be released in India after the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) asked authorities to ban it, following a militant attack in India-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists on April 22.
New Delhi has blamed the attack on Pakistan, an allegation denied by Islamabad. Both India and Pakistan have since unleashed a raft of measures against each other as tensions remain heightened between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
“It’s a matter of the country’s dignity,” Qureshi told Arab News. “In future, the way India is imposing a blanket ban on Pakistan, our government should also ask actors to seek NoC before signing up for any project there.”
India has a huge film industry and many Pakistani artists want to work there, according to Qureshi. But they should not compromise on their self-respect.
“Our actors should have some integrity not just as artists but also as Pakistanis. [It’s] a country that doesn’t welcome you at all, irrespective of the recent Pahalgam terror attack,” he said.
“There were speculations around the film’s release already, now it’s impossible for the film to release in India.”
India barred Pakistani artists from working in the country after a militant attack in Uri town in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 19 Indian soldiers in 2016. Prior to that, Khan starred in Bollywood films ‘Khoobsurat,’ ‘Kapoor & Sons’ and ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.’
The promotion of his movie Abir Gulaal began in Dubai, with the music launch. But two songs from the film, ‘Khudaya Ishq’ and ‘Angreji Rangrasiya,’ have been removed from YouTube India following the Pahalgam attack.
“It was not like this was unexpected. If it had not been the recent tragedy in Pahalgam, it would have been any other reason, big, small, legit or otherwise,” Kamran Jawaid, a Pakistani film critic and journalist, told Arab News.
“Cinema-goers [in Pakistan] will give the film a warm welcome. However, given FWICE’s hard anti-Pakistan stance, the decision to release the film here would only land them in hotter waters in India. Nobody wants to do that.”
Nadeem Mandviwalla, a leading film importer and distributor in Pakistan who also owns a cinema in Karachi, said India’s ban on the movie’s release is “understandable” under the current circumstances.
“Allegedly, Pakistan has also refused to grant permission to the movie,” he said. “Actors will always play a part in projecting peace and love. Given a chance, it’s commendable for both parties to make this attempt.”
Jawaid, on the other hand, said Pakistani actors should have an “active role” in building up the quality of Pakistani productions, given the wafer-thin, prickly relationship between Pakistan and India.
“They should not run after Bollywood collaborations because the audience-base is bigger or that the pay is better,” he said. “The ‘arts transcend borders’ and ‘arts can make a difference’ mantra can only be beneficial if there is unilateral reciprocation in both industries.”
Top Pakistani filmmaker says actors should seek government permission before signing Indian projects
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Top Pakistani filmmaker says actors should seek government permission before signing Indian projects
- The statement comes after Indian cinema federation banned release of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan’s ‘Abir Gulaal’ following the Pahalgam militant attack
- Nabeel Qureshi says India has a huge film industry and many Pakistani artists want to work there, but they should not compromise on their self-respect
UN agencies report spike in Afghan arrests as nearly two million return from Pakistan
- UNHCR and IOM data show weekly spike in detentions, with Balochistan emerging as main hotspot
- International rights groups say the deportation drive risks violating international protection obligations
ISLAMABAD: United Nations agencies for refugees and migration recorded a sharp rise in the arrest and detention of Afghan nationals in Pakistan since the beginning of the year, highlighting in a report this week that about two million Afghans have been repatriated to their country since late 2023.
According to a joint report released by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the scale of the movement has gone up significantly.
“During the reporting period (4 – 10 January), a total of 1,726 Afghan nationals were arrested and detained, marking an 18 percent increase compared to the previous week,” the report said. “Cumulatively, from 15 September 2023 to 10 January 2026, 1,957,694 individuals have returned.”
The mass migration and deportation drive began on November 1, 2023, after Pakistani authorities announced a repatriation plan for “illegal immigrants,” mostly Afghans. The decision followed a spike in suicide bombings, which the Pakistani government said were carried out by Afghan nationals or by militants launching cross-border attacks from neighboring Afghanistan.
Islamabad has also blamed illegal Afghan immigrants and refugees for involvement in smuggling and other crimes, though Afghanistan denies the allegations.
In 2025, Pakistan expanded the scope of its deportation drive, moving beyond undocumented foreign nationals to include holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC). The campaign was later extended to bearers of Proof of Registration (PoR) cards after their validity expired in June.
While PoR cards were meant to recognize Afghan refugees under a formal registration framework, ACCs were merely introduced to document Afghan nationality without conferring refugee status on those in possession of them.
“Out of all arrests and detentions during the reporting period ... ACC holders and undocumented Afghans represented 87 percent of the total rate of arrest and detentions, and PoR holders represented 13 percent,” the report said.
In addition to the arrests, the reporting period saw a marked increase in activity at the border. Between January 4 and January 10, 2026, alone, an estimated 19,666 Afghans returned through various crossing points including Torkham and Chaman, representing a 38 percent increase in returns and a 17 percent increase in deportations compared to the week prior.
The UN report noted that “fear of arrest remained the main reason for return among undocumented individuals and ACC holders (95 percent)” while PoR card holders cited “strict border entry requirements” as their primary driver for leaving.
Geographically, 73 percent of recent arrests occurred in Balochistan, with the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) also being a focal point with 16 percent of the total arrests following government directives for Afghans to relocate from the capital.
Earlier in January, Amnesty International renewed pressure on Islamabad, urging it to stop deportations.
“Amnesty International calls on the Pakistani authorities to halt the deportation of Afghan refugees and ensure that individuals with international protection needs are safeguarded as per international human rights law,” it said in an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Amnesty maintained Pakistan’s repatriation policy violated the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning refugees to countries where they could face persecution or serious harm, and described the campaign as potentially “one of the largest forcible returns of refugees in modern history.”
