TV host Nadia Khan confronted rapper Talha Anjum for waving the Indian flag at a concert in Nepal. The moment, which she discussed on her morning show, quickly turned into a heated national debate about patriotism, artistic freedom and responsibility in the public eye.
Talha Anjum admitted that waving the Indian flag was a mistake and also apologised. But despite his apology, social media remained sharply divided. Many believed the rapper had crossed a line, while others argued that the issue was being blown out of proportion.
On her show, Nadia Khan invited Talha Anjum and questioned him strictly. She said his action “hurt the sentiments of the majority of the Pakistani nation.” She also brought up some of his earlier posts, including a tweet from the Pahalgam incident where he had been accused of sounding sympathetic toward India. With a firm tone, she asked, “Have you forgotten the conflict when they imposed a war on us and were killing our soldiers? Why did you raise their flag? We are Pakistani before artists and musicians.”
Talha Anjum, however, responded with confidence. He said he is a “proud Pakistani artist” and added that what he did is something “Indian artists can’t do,” claiming that Indian performers would face threats if they ever waved a foreign flag on stage.
Celebrities Speak Up in Talha’s Support
Soon after the episode aired, many Pakistani celebrities came forward to support Talha and criticise the way Nadia questioned him. Yasir Hussain, Sonya Hussyn, Musadek Malek and Kinza Hashmi were among those who defended the rapper.
Yasir Hussain compared Nadia’s tone to aggressive Indian TV hosts and wrote, “To all the Pakistani Arnab Goswamis, kasam Khuda ki yeh larka acha Pakistani hai… naam roshan kiya hai, isi liye toh international concert karta hai aur Indians bhi aatay hain.”
Musadek Malek took an even stronger tone, calling Nadia a “pissu” in his post and writing, “Tu legend hay! Aur yeh pissu! Jumma Mubarak to everyone except Nadia Khan. Also, can someone teach her how to talk!!”
Sonya Hussyn expressed that no artist deserves such treatment on national television, while Kinza Hashmi also posted her support for Talha, although her exact message was not publicly detailed.
Public Reaction: A Nation Split
On social media, the nation appears divided into two strong camps. Supporters of Nadia say her message about national dignity and self-respect is justified, even if her tone felt harsh. Others argue that Talha was over-criticised and that artists performing internationally often interact with diverse audiences, where not every gesture is political.
