The British Asian Trust, a charity founded by King Charles III, has announced its decision to sever connections with Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan after a video of the singer slapping and assaulting a band member, went viral.
A spokesperson for the anti-violence organization stated that they chose to disassociate with Rahat after a careful review of the video. The Trust, with a stringent policy against abusive behavior, strongly condemned any form of violence, regardless of the circumstances.
Over the weekend, the Trust issued a statement, asserting, “We take all accusations of abuse seriously and will look into this urgently.”
The footage captured Rahat attacking a band member in Houston, Texas, last year, employing slaps, kicks, and even his shoes, while the person pleaded for him to stop.
In response to the controversy, Rahat addressed the matter on Saturday night, offering clarification that the situation in reality differed from what appeared in the video.
Meanwhile, the individual identified as his student stated that the “bottle” being mentioned in the viral video contained healing water given by a spiritual leader, which he had misplaced.
“He is like my father, my teacher. God knows how much he loves us. Whoever has done this, is simply blackmailing my teacher to defame him,” he added.
“The video is an internal matter of a teacher and a student. We do love a student over a good deed, as well as punish him if he commits a mistake,” the star singer said in a video statement issued on his official Instagram account.
“I forgot a bottle of water which was given by my pir (spiritual healer). I also apologised to my student at the same time,” he said referring to the “student” as Naveed Husnain.
In another video, Husnain explained that Rahat had apologized to him for their previous disagreement, leaving him feeling “embarrassed.” Husnain clarified that Rahat is his teacher, and he can handle the situation however he wants.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has also met King Charles as the ambassador of the trust. The British Asian Trust, established by Charles in 2007, aims to address poverty and foster community relations.
Known as the greatest living singer in the Qawwali genre, popular in Pakistan, Rahat’s origins are rooted in the poetry and music of Islamic mystics, known as Sufis.
Back in February 2017, Prince Charles appointed Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan as the ambassador of the British Asian Trust during the trust’s fourth annual dinner at the Guildhall.
The announcement was made by Prince Charles, the President of the trust, during the event attended by over 450 supporters and ambassadors, including the Duchess of Cornwall. The occasion successfully raised £850,000 to support the trust and its projects in South Asia.
The trust actively runs various projects in South Asian countries, and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s performance at the event received praise. Notable Pakistanis currently associated with the Trust include prominent industrialists Mian Mansha from Lahore and Lord Zameer Chaudhry from London.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan said: “I am delighted that the Prince of Wales announced that I will be working closely with the British Asian Trust as an ambassador to further support their work in transforming lives across South Asia.”
