{"id":6750,"date":"2025-06-01T09:37:31","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T09:37:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/?p=6750"},"modified":"2025-06-01T09:37:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T09:37:35","slug":"iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/","title":{"rendered":"Iftikhar Thakur Speaks Out Amid Indo-Pak Tensions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Date:<\/strong> June 1, 2025 | <strong>By:<\/strong> NewsMakers Desk<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lahore<\/strong> \u2014 Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, renowned Pakistani actor and comedian <strong>Iftikhar Thakur<\/strong> has made bold statements defending Pakistan\u2019s position while clarifying that his criticism is directed solely at nationalist figures, not the general public or artists of India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking in a podcast with Irfan Asghar, Thakur said,<br><strong>&#8220;I was the one who initiated cross-border collaboration with Punjabi artists, and I\u2019m also the one who decided to end it.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He emphasized that his words were a response to those promoting hostility between the two nations, stating:<br><strong>&#8220;There are two types of people in the world \u2014 those raised by brave mothers, who express anger with dignity, and those who stoop to vulgarity and abuse.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the controversy, Thakur expressed deep respect and affection for Indian Punjab:<br><strong>&#8220;I\u2019ve never seen Indian Punjab as separate from Pakistani Punjab. We are two bodies with one soul.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The actor addressed a misunderstanding stemming from remarks by Indian artist <strong>Sukhwinder Raj<\/strong>, saying they were distorted and misrepresented, which fueled unnecessary outrage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Clarification and Apology to Indian Artists<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Thakur made it clear that his comments were not directed at artists like <strong>Simi Chahal, Diljit Dosanjh, Amrinder Gill<\/strong>, or any other individuals from the Indian entertainment industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>&#8220;I never intended to offend or hurt any Indian artist,&#8221;<\/strong> he explained, noting that his frustration was aimed at individuals like <strong>Major Gaurav Arya<\/strong> and <strong>General Bakhshi<\/strong>, whom he identified as proponents of ultra-nationalist rhetoric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Earlier, Thakur had stirred reactions with a powerful statement, saying:<br><strong>&#8220;If you come by air, you\u2019ll scatter in the wind; if you come by water, you\u2019ll drown; if you come by land, you\u2019ll be buried.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He credited <strong>the Pakistan Air Force<\/strong> for delivering this message clearly and decisively to India in past confrontations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social Media Backlash<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While his message resonated with many in Pakistan, it drew criticism from some Indian Punjabi celebrities and fans, who perceived his comments as divisive. Thakur, however, reiterated that his aim was not to spread hatred but to counter warmongering narratives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Known for his decades-long career in Punjabi theater, TV, and film, <strong>Iftikhar Thakur<\/strong> (real name <strong>Iftikhar Ahmed<\/strong>) has long supported cultural collaboration between Indian and Pakistani Punjabis. He has often used his platform to promote peace \u2014 even amid political tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Highlights:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Iftikhar Thakur defends his patriotic remarks amid Indo-Pak tensions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clarifies criticism was aimed at Indian military hardliners, not artists<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reaffirms cultural unity between Indian and Pakistani Punjab<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Faces mixed reactions across social media<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stresses need for dignity, mutual respect, and honest dialogue<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Date: June 1, 2025 | By: NewsMakers Desk Lahore \u2014 Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, renowned Pakistani actor and comedian Iftikhar Thakur has made bold statements defending Pakistan\u2019s position while clarifying that his criticism is directed solely at nationalist figures, not the general public or artists of India. Speaking in a podcast with &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6751,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-entertainment"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Iftikhar Thakur Speaks Out Amid Indo-Pak Tensions<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Iftikhar Thakur, renowned Pakistani comedian, gives clarification regarding his earlier statement during recent Pak-India war.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Iftikhar Thakur Speaks Out Amid Indo-Pak Tensions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Iftikhar Thakur, renowned Pakistani comedian, gives clarification regarding his earlier statement during recent Pak-India war.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NewsMakers-Daily Latest Urdu Breaking News Updates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-01T09:37:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-01T09:37:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iftikhar-Thakur-Interview-1-1.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"668\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"396\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"musa\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"musa\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"musa\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/eea5003dc879d02815bf9c060857c0cb\"},\"headline\":\"Iftikhar Thakur Speaks Out Amid Indo-Pak Tensions\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-01T09:37:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-01T09:37:35+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/\"},\"wordCount\":434,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iftikhar-Thakur-Interview-1-1.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Entertainment\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/\",\"name\":\"Iftikhar Thakur Speaks Out Amid Indo-Pak Tensions\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iftikhar-Thakur-Interview-1-1.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-01T09:37:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-01T09:37:35+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/eea5003dc879d02815bf9c060857c0cb\"},\"description\":\"Iftikhar Thakur, renowned Pakistani comedian, gives clarification regarding his earlier statement during recent Pak-India war.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iftikhar-Thakur-Interview-1-1.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iftikhar-Thakur-Interview-1-1.webp\",\"width\":668,\"height\":396,\"caption\":\"Comedian Iftikhar Thakur remarks about India\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Iftikhar Thakur Speaks Out Amid Indo-Pak Tensions\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/\",\"name\":\"NewsMakers-Daily Latest Urdu Breaking News Updates\",\"description\":\"We Make Better News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/eea5003dc879d02815bf9c060857c0cb\",\"name\":\"musa\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/922706b4430831b18be607ea0fd072cd409765b3cb04649f81cefeae8542c39f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/922706b4430831b18be607ea0fd072cd409765b3cb04649f81cefeae8542c39f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"musa\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/author\/musa\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Iftikhar Thakur Speaks Out Amid Indo-Pak Tensions","description":"Iftikhar Thakur, renowned Pakistani comedian, gives clarification regarding his earlier statement during recent Pak-India war.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Iftikhar Thakur Speaks Out Amid Indo-Pak Tensions","og_description":"Iftikhar Thakur, renowned Pakistani comedian, gives clarification regarding his earlier statement during recent Pak-India war.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/","og_site_name":"NewsMakers-Daily Latest Urdu Breaking News Updates","article_published_time":"2025-06-01T09:37:31+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-06-01T09:37:35+00:00","og_image":[{"width":668,"height":396,"url":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iftikhar-Thakur-Interview-1-1.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"musa","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"musa","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/"},"author":{"name":"musa","@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/eea5003dc879d02815bf9c060857c0cb"},"headline":"Iftikhar Thakur Speaks Out Amid Indo-Pak Tensions","datePublished":"2025-06-01T09:37:31+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-01T09:37:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/"},"wordCount":434,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iftikhar-Thakur-Interview-1-1.webp","articleSection":["Entertainment"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/","url":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/","name":"Iftikhar Thakur Speaks Out Amid Indo-Pak Tensions","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iftikhar-Thakur-Interview-1-1.webp","datePublished":"2025-06-01T09:37:31+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-01T09:37:35+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/eea5003dc879d02815bf9c060857c0cb"},"description":"Iftikhar Thakur, renowned Pakistani comedian, gives clarification regarding his earlier statement during recent Pak-India war.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iftikhar-Thakur-Interview-1-1.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iftikhar-Thakur-Interview-1-1.webp","width":668,"height":396,"caption":"Comedian Iftikhar Thakur remarks about India"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/entertainment\/iftikhar-thakur-speaks-out-amid-indo-pak-tensions\/6750\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Iftikhar Thakur Speaks Out Amid Indo-Pak Tensions"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/","name":"NewsMakers-Daily Latest Urdu Breaking News Updates","description":"We Make Better News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/eea5003dc879d02815bf9c060857c0cb","name":"musa","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/922706b4430831b18be607ea0fd072cd409765b3cb04649f81cefeae8542c39f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/922706b4430831b18be607ea0fd072cd409765b3cb04649f81cefeae8542c39f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"musa"},"url":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/author\/musa\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6750"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6750\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6752,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6750\/revisions\/6752"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}