In heart of Pakistan, K-Pop becomes a cultural juggernaut

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Updated 16 February 2023
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In heart of Pakistan, K-Pop becomes a cultural juggernaut

  • Multiple K-Pop dance and karaoke events, birthdays of favorite stars and street performances are organized in Lahore each year
  • Pakistani fans say K-Pop bands are not just music stars but “deep sources” of inspiration and attachment for followers

LAHORE: For a country whose global reputation used to be defined by cars and cell phones, South Korea is now leading a global cultural revolution, with the dystopian drama “Squid Game,” award-winning films such as “Parasite” and K-Pop stars like BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, appearing as ubiquitous as any Samsung smartphone — even in a South Asian city like Lahore.

Welcome to the scenes of a burgeoning K-Pop revolution in the heart of Pakistan, complete with groups of young people, choreographed dances, street performances, karaoke parties, nicknames, fan armies and trending hashtags.

Last year, Spotify statistics showed the 18-24 age group in Pakistan was over 50 percent more likely to be listening to K-Pop than any other genre of music. The BTS Yet to Come concert was released to packed cinemas in Pakistan this year and last year, a dozen K-Pop events were held in Lahore, each attracting crowds of up to 500 people. Multiple street dance performances are regularly arranged and music videos and documentaries shot with money young fans say they are spending from their own pockets. 

No doubt, Lahore is becoming Pakistan’s most important cog in the Korean popular culture machine, thanks to super fans like Leneha Junsu and Nayab Husnain and groups like Dynamite Crew, Pakistan’s first public dance cover performers.




The picture shows group members of Pakistan's first public K-pop group coverist, Dynamite Crew. (Dynamite Crew/Facebook)

And the love isn’t one sided. Last year the K-Pop band Blitzers shot parts of their music video, ‘Hit The Bass’ in Lahore, while Islamabad’s Sophia Mujahid, perhaps the most well-known K-Pop performer in Pakistan, was invited to tour South Korea by the Korean embassy in Islamabad after winning the K-Pop World Festival twice in 2016 and 2017. Last year, she was invited to the event as a judge, when the dance category was won by Lahore’s Dynamite Crew.

“It was like nothing I had heard or seen before,” super-fan Leneha told Arab News, describing how she “fell in love” with K-Pop in 2010, after which she started meeting other fans through Facebook groups.

By 2016, she was organizing fan meet-ups and other events throughout the city and now does so under the banner of KCon.




Founder of KCon, Leneha Junsu, is seen speaking during a karaoke event in Lahore, Pakistan, on February 4, 2023. (KCon/Facebook)

“Back in 2011, when I was 21, I was working for en.korea.com, which was a website for English K-Pop news, with the aim of bringing their brand of music to a bigger audience,” Leneha said. “I was doing that until 2014. I was also an administrator to a few international K-Pop boy groups. I have done a few projects with the South Korean Embassy.”

Leneha has a dedicated group of collaborators who work with her to promote K-Pop in Pakistan:

“When we started promoting K-Pop people weren’t that aware [of it]. We even went to 8XM [the music channel] and they played BTS and other K-Pop groups on our request.”




A billboard wishing Jungkook from BTS a happy birthday was spotted in Gujranwala, Pakistan. (Photo courtesy: Social media)

Iman Afroze, one of Leneha’s collaborators, is making a documentary on the BTS Army called “The Journey of Pak Army,” army being what fans of K-Pop groups call themselves around the world. And just like other BTS armies globally, the Pakistani groups too engage in social work and community engagement, with tens of thousands of social media accounts trending BTS Army on social media in Pakistan whenever it is an idol’s birthday, or a star is engaged in a charity or social work initiative.

Leneha and Afroze are currently working on a project translating a BTS documentary in Urdu, called @urdu.bangtan on Instagram.

Started four years ago, Leneha’s KCon events attract hundreds of people and include Korean word guessing games, karaoke and trivia about Korean music and television stars. People who attend the gigs come having learnt the dances, the lyrics, and even the language.

Another popular event is Nayab Husnain’s K’Festa, which has been held thrice and is arguably the single largest K-Pop gathering in Pakistan. Husnain was only 19 when she organized the first event over a year ago, becoming a K-Pop fan after watching interviews of BTS:

“They love their fans, their first priority is to spread messages like ‘love yourself,’ and when I read the lyrics of the songs, they were saying things like ‘I’m learning how to love myself’. That was very inspiring.”

BTS songs send out messages of hope, self-worth and resilience, Husnain said, which resonated with young Pakistanis who followed them.

“That’s when I talked with my friends and decided to do a community-based event in 2021,” the organizer said, using her 70,000 TikTok and 14,000 Instagram followers to get the message out.

Before shifting to organizing K-Pop events, Nayab was mostly focused on doing Korean-inspired make-up tutorials on her social media pages, with many of her young followers saying it was the sense of style and fashion K-Pop groups exude that had them hooked.

And no one in Pakistan encompasses that sense of style better than dance cover group Dynamite Crew, who have performed at KCon and K’Festa events, danced at Korean embassy functions and now even taken their talent to the streets.

The group was started in 2020 by Kazim Raza, 20, and Joy Azeem, 21.

“We found each other on Instagram back in 2019 because we were both making dance covers, we decided to collaborate,” Azeem said.

Raza subsequently started looking for dancers in Lahore and just two years after their first performance, the group won the K-Pop Pakistan Festival’s dance category in 2022.

Raza, the de-facto leader of Dynamite Crew, said the group only had eight permanent members but held auditions when they needed more dancers.

Azeem’s introduction to K-Pop was BTS’s Blood, Sweat and Tears: “I was very impressed with the visuals, and that they danced so professionally, even performed their own stunts, and I wanted to be just like that. I learned it was possible to be that multi-talented.”

Other than BTS’ choreography, Azeem was also enthralled with the band’s fashion, styling, makeup, outfits and music. Though she has covered extremely popular girl groups like Blackpink, her favorite group remains BTS.

Indeed, for many Pakistani fans, the appeal of K-Pop is not just in the music. Bands like BTS are not just singing and dancing sensations but a “source of deep inspiration and attachment” for followers.

“I got more into K-Pop when I was going through depression, I used to listen to BTS mostly, their lyrics were very relatable,” a fan called Yuna, who identified herself only by her first name, said.

“They came to me, I didn’t go to them,” she added, explaining the lure of the band’s lyrics and “messages of community, togetherness and social work.”

“I suddenly felt I wasn’t all alone in the world anymore,” Yuna said. “I forgot all my worries, I entered this fantasy world where I forgot all the bad things that had happened to me.”


‘Bellicose punchlines’: Islamabad slams India’s top diplomat over anti-Pakistan remarks in Brussels

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‘Bellicose punchlines’: Islamabad slams India’s top diplomat over anti-Pakistan remarks in Brussels

  • Subrahmanyam Jaishankar accused Pakistan of sponsoring ‘terrorism,’ asserted New Delhi’s right to retaliate
  • Foreign office says India should raise the quality of its discourse instead of remaining ‘obsessed with Pakistan’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday criticized Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar for “producing bellicose punchlines” after he made a series of statements during his visit to Brussels, accusing Islamabad of sponsoring “terrorism” and asserting New Delhi reserved the right to retaliate against militant attacks.
The comments come in the wake of a recent military standoff between the nuclear-armed neighbors, involving the exchange of fighter jets, drones, missiles and artillery fire. Both countries have since launched parallel diplomatic offensives, dispatching delegations to major world capitals to present their versions of events.
New Delhi suspended a longstanding river water-sharing treaty following a gun attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that it blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied any involvement, calling for an impartial international probe before India decided to launch missiles to target what it called was “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan.
A US-brokered ceasefire was announced by President Donald Trump on May 10, followed by Pakistan’s call for a “composite dialogue” with its neighboring state which New Delhi has so far resisted.
“Pakistan categorically rejects the irresponsible remarks made by the External Affairs Minister of India during different media engagements in Brussels,” the foreign office said in a strongly worded statement.
“The discourse of top diplomats should aim to promote peace and harmony, rather than producing bellicose punchlines,” it continued. “The tone and tenor of a Foreign Minister should be commensurate with his dignified status.”
The ministry accused India of waging a years-long “malicious campaign” aimed at misleading the global community with a “fictitious narrative of victimhood,” adding that such rhetoric cannot conceal what it described as India’s own “sponsorship of terrorism beyond its borders” or its “state-sanctioned oppression” in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
“India must also desist from concocting misleading narratives to justify its recent aggressive actions,” the statement said. “Pakistan believes in peaceful coexistence, dialogue and diplomacy. However, it stands resolute in its intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty against any aggression, as exemplified by its robust response to India’s reckless strikes last month.”
Calling India’s recent remarks a sign of “sheer frustration” after what it termed an “unsuccessful military adventure,” Islamabad said Indian leaders should focus on improving the quality of their discourse rather than remaining “obsessed with Pakistan.”
“The history will judge not by who shouted the loudest but by who acted the wisest,” it added.


Palestinian MP accuses Israel and India of conspiring together against Pakistan’s sovereignty

Updated 12 June 2025
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Palestinian MP accuses Israel and India of conspiring together against Pakistan’s sovereignty

  • Sheikh Mamoun Asaad Al-Tamimi was speaking at the National Press Club in Islamabad during a ‘Meet the Press’ event
  • Says Pakistan’s ‘victory’ in recent military confrontation with India was a success for the entire Muslim ummah

ISLAMABAD: Palestinian lawmaker Sheikh Mamoun Asaad Al-Tamimi on Wednesday accused Israel and India of working in tandem to undermine Pakistan’s sovereignty, alleging that both nations viewed Pakistan’s nuclear capability as a threat to their regional ambitions.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Islamabad during a “Meet the Press” event, Al-Tamimi claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, encouraged by Israeli leadership, had attempted to provoke war with Pakistan.
“Modi and Netanyahu are deeply troubled by Pakistan’s nuclear strength. On Israel’s instigation, Modi tried to impose war on Pakistan but they were met with a response they never anticipated,” he said.
Al-Tamimi was referring to exchanges of drones, missiles, and artillery strikes between the two arch-rivals between May 7-10 before a ceasefire was announced. After India struck first on May 7, Pakistan vowed retaliation, saying it had downed six Indian fighter jets.
The two nations also hit each other’s military bases, airfields and other army facilities with missiles.
The Palestinian MP said Israel expected Pakistan’s leadership to be divided and weak in the face of Indian airstrikes.
“But Pakistan’s military and political leadership responded with unity and strength. This is not just a Pakistani victory, it is a victory for the entire Muslim ummah,” he said.
Al-Tamimi’s remarks come amid ongoing violence in Gaza, which he described as a humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel launched an air and ground offensive in Gaza in October 2023 in which at least 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to health authorities in the coastal enclave.
“Israel has placed Gaza under siege ... There is now an acute shortage of food and medicine. If the blockade continues, two million Palestinians could die of hunger within a year,” Al-Tamimi warned.
He also drew parallels between the struggles in Gaza and disputed Kashmir, claiming both were victims of occupation and global neglect.
“The war in Gaza has unmasked everyone. Western media portrays Israel as a victim, but this war has exposed the truth. The silence of the international community is deafening.”
Calling for global protests, Al-Tamimi urged people, particularly in Pakistan, to demonstrate outside US embassies in solidarity with the people of Gaza:
“The world must pressure Israel to end its brutal campaign.”
During the press meet visit, NPC President Azhar Jatoi recalled the club’s early support for Gaza, including rallies and awards for over 150 journalists who highlighted the Palestinian cause. Secretary Nayyar Ali added that Pakistani journalists would continue speaking up for Gaza on all platforms.


Pakistan defends 20 percent defense budget hike, cites need to counter India’s ‘war craze’

Updated 50 min 20 sec ago
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Pakistan defends 20 percent defense budget hike, cites need to counter India’s ‘war craze’

  • Pakistan’s FY2025–26 budget has allocated Rs2.1 trillion ($7.5 billion) to defense, up from Rs1.8 trillion last year
  • Increase comes weeks after brief but intense military flare-up in May with India, triggered by a militant attack 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday defended its decision to raise defense spending by 20 percent in the new fiscal year, citing the need to strengthen missile defenses and counter what it described as a permanent state of hostility from India following the latest military standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

The remarks came during a press conference in London, where a high-level Pakistani delegation led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is lobbying Western governments to support Pakistan’s position on Kashmir, regional stability, and water security. The delegation includes senior lawmakers, including Khurram Dastgir Khan, a former defense minister and ruling Pakistan Muslim League party member.

Pakistan’s FY2025–26 budget has allocated Rs2.1 trillion ($7.5 billion) to defense, up from Rs1.8 trillion last year. The increase comes weeks after a brief but intense military flare-up with India in May, triggered by a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, which denies the allegations. 

Responding to questions about the sharp rise in defense allocations in Pakistan’s 2025–26 federal budget announced on Tuesday, Dastgir said the increase was proportional and necessary given the country’s limited resources and regional threat perception.

“Pakistan has proven that they [India] spend 10 times more than us every year. We are $7.5 billion. Probably last year they spent $77 billion on their defense in a year,” the Pakistani lawmaker said.

“Despite that, we have seen that the skill of Pakistan and the equipment that Pakistan has, by using it well, we have defeated our 10 times bigger enemy. It has forced it to retreat.”

Dastagir was referring to exchanges of drones, missiles, and artillery between the two archenemies between May 7-10 before a ceasefire was announced. After India struck first on May 7, Pakistan vowed retaliation, saying it had downed six Indian fighter jets. 

The two nations also struck each other’s military bases, airfields and other army facilities. 

India, which allocated roughly $77 billion to defense in 2024 according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute data, has called the May clashes a result of cross-border militant activity, a charge Islamabad denies.

Dastgir argued that Pakistan’s defense posture remained reactive and restrained. 

“There will be more discussion on this, on the permanent war-craze from India that is being imposed on us,” he said.

He emphasized that Pakistan must optimize its constrained budget to reinforce deterrence. 

“We have to make the best use of our limited resources. One thing is clear — that we have to strengthen our grounded defenses against the Indian missiles,” Dastagir added.

“So, by looking at the economy of Pakistan, we will make the best use of this budget. And the strength of Pakistan will be further enhanced and renewed.”

The comments reflect Islamabad’s effort to reframe its increased defense spending as a measured response to external threats, rather than a departure from regional stability commitments. The government has also pledged to continue talks under the aegis of international partners to avoid escalation.

The Pakistani delegation is expected to continue its tour with visits to Brussels where it will once more present Islamabad’s case for de-escalation, resumption of water treaty obligations, and progress on the decades-old Kashmir dispute.


Trump nominee for South Asia secretary backs Pakistan security cooperation ‘where beneficial for US’

Updated 11 June 2025
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Trump nominee for South Asia secretary backs Pakistan security cooperation ‘where beneficial for US’

  • Paul Kapur says will continue to promote “longstanding US security interests with India and Pakistan”
  • Kapur is professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School, visiting faculty member at Hoover Institution

ISLAMABAD: Paul Kapur, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs, said this week he would pursue security cooperation with Pakistan “where beneficial to US interests.”

Kapur was speaking during a confirmation hearing before the US Senate on Tuesday.

“On Pakistan, if confirmed, I will pursue security cooperation where beneficial to US interests, while seeking opportunities for bilateral collaboration in trade and investment,” Kapur said in his testimony. 

“South Asia recently avoided a costly conflict, with the [US] Vice President and Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio intensely engaged on the issue. If confirmed, I will continue to promote longstanding US security interests with India and Pakistan through the pursuit of peace and stability, and the fight against terrorism.”

Kapur is, as of 2025, a professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School. He is a visiting faculty member at the Hoover Institution and has taught at Claremont McKenna College. He was also a visiting professor at Stanford University.

In 2025, Kapur was nominated as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs by the second Trump administration, succeeding Donald Lu.

Pakistani observers are carefully watching Kapur’s appointment as he wrote in his book ‘Jihad as Grand Strategy’ that jihad was a major part of Pakistan’s grand strategy, and not just a “political instrument” it used. He has claimed that the utilization of jihad by Pakistan is an intentional government strategy.


US warns against attending UN conference on Israel-Palestinian two-state solution

Updated 11 June 2025
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US warns against attending UN conference on Israel-Palestinian two-state solution

  • Two close allies France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting the gathering next week in New York
  • It aims to lay out parameters for roadmap to Palestinian state while ensuring Israel’s security

PARIS/WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s administration is discouraging governments around the world from attending a UN conference next week on a possible two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, according to a US cable seen by Reuters.

The diplomatic demarche, sent on Tuesday, says countries that take “anti-Israel actions” following the conference will be viewed as acting in opposition to US foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic consequences from Washington.

The demarche, which was not previously reported, runs squarely against the diplomacy of two close allies France and Saudi Arabia, who are co-hosting the gathering next week in New York that aims to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel’s security.

“We are urging governments not to participate in the conference, which we view as counterproductive to ongoing, lifesaving efforts to end the war in Gaza and free hostages,” read the cable.

President Emmanuel Macron has suggested France could recognize a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territory at the conference.

French officials say they have been working to avoid a clash with the US, Israel’s staunchest major ally.

“The United States opposes any steps that would unilaterally recognize a conjectural Palestinian state, which adds significant legal and political obstacles to the eventual resolution of the conflict and could coerce Israel during a war, thereby supporting its enemies,” the cable read.

This week Britain and Canada, also G7 allies of the United States, were joined by other countries in placing sanctions on two Israeli far-right government ministers to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring the Gaza war to an end.

“The United States opposes the implied support of the conference for potential actions including boycotts and sanctions on Israel as well as other punitive measures,” the cable read.

Israel has repeatedly criticized the conference, saying it rewards Hamas for the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the latest Gaza war, and it has lobbied France against recognizing a Palestinian state.

The US State Department and the French Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.