Invite BTS to Pakistan

Since Imran Khan assumed office as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, he and his government have been doing their upmost to instigate tourism in the country, to make Pakistan a friendly place for foreign investors and to facilitate international cricket matches in the country again.

This is all good and nice; however, the Prime Minister and his government have done very little to invite international artists and musicians to perform in Pakistan.

The lack of emphasis in inviting international musicians to the country comes in spite of the fact that “music is the universal language of mankind”, according to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

In other words, if the present government is serious about seeking meaningful and long lasting partnerships with other states then the basis of that friendship has got to be culture. It is a widely acknowledged fact that culture is best expressed through music and other forms of art.

A government that wants to improve Pakistan’s standing in the world ought to invite the best bands and musicians to perform in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

And, where else to start other than by inviting South Korea’s KPOP boy band BTS, also known as Bangtan Sonyeondan or Bangtan Boys, to perform in the country.

Now, you might ask: why should we invite a South Korean KPOP group? Or, why on earth should we invite BTS?

There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, there is a gigantic fan base in Pakistan that adores, worships and loves BTS. One only has to glance at social media platforms to understand their popularity amongst Pakistani people, especially females.

For example, there are hundreds of fan pages with thousands of likes on Facebook that cater for Pakistani fans of BTS and KPOP. In addition, there are also multiple petitions going on that aim to invite the boy band to Pakistan.

But this is nothing compared to the tens-of-thousands of accounts on Twitter and Instagram that cater to Pakistani fans of South Korean music.

Another reason for inviting BTS is that they are internationally acclaimed and have won multiple awards. They have been invited on prominent British and US TV channels.

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Since their inception in 2013, they have won countless awards and nominations.

By way of explanation, inviting BTS to Pakistan would prove to be a catalyst for other internationally renowned artists to follow suit and perform in our country’s staggering venues.

Moreover, there would also be a social agenda of inviting the aforementioned KPOP group to Pakistan; they would highlight some of the most pressing issues affecting young people. This is highlighted by the fact that UNICEF recently applauded BTS for actively campaigning against violence aimed at the youth, especially school children.

This is very much synonymous with Prime Minister Imran’s agenda of providing a safe, nurturing and stable beginning to every child in the country.

Of course, some people will object to international musicians like BTS performing in the country – not least on religious grounds. However, let’s look at fact that BTS will be performing in Saudi Arabia next month at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh. If they can perform in fellow Muslim country then there should be no problem of them performing in Pakistan.

Another objection is based on security concerns. While I share that concern, one needs to understand that the country is in a much better place now than it was a few years ago. In fact, the security situation has improved in the country so much so that even Britain’s Princess Kate Middleton and Prince William will be visiting Pakistan.

As the above two objections have been nullified, there are no other credible objections to be made against inviting BTS to this country.

Also read: BTS partner with UNICEF

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Muhammed Raza Hussain is an award-winning writer: the Extra-Mile winner of the News Quest Young Reporter Scheme 2014 and received a ‘Talent for Writing’ certificate by Young Writers. Twitter @MuhammedRaza786 | Instagram:  @M.Raza.H_