PTI, in a goodwill gesture, has reached out to comedian Allah Rakha Pepsi Urf Pani Puri after he broke down on social media over the trolling he received for performing at a PML-N rally.
The PML-N had organized the rally at Lahore’s Liberty Chowk to express solidarity with Hamza Shehbaz after the voting for the Punjab chief minister. The party was mocked and criticized by PTI workers and journalists for what they said was its failure to draw a big crowd. Allah Rakha Pepsi Urf Pani Puri too became the brunt of cruel jokes.
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Taking to Twitter, PTI praised Allah Rakha Pani Puri by calling him a “great artist”. PTI also shared his official Twitter account for raising awareness.
“Allah Rakha Sahab, you are a great artist and earn an honest living. We wish you all the best! Raising awareness for your real account so that imposters don’t take advantage,” PTI tweeted.
Allah Rakha Sb,
You are a great artist and earn an honest living. We wish you all the best! Raising awareness for your real account @AR_Panipuri so that imposters don't take advantage. https://t.co/PU65UlqvAE— PTI (@PTIofficial) July 28, 2022
Allah Rakha breaks down
Allah Rakha, who is known for his eccentric parodies of different singers and artists, began trending for performing at PML-N’s rally. Due to his performance, he became the target of criticism which took a severe toll on the artist.
عدالت میں ن لیگ کے وکلاء بھی اللہ رکھا پیپسی جیسی پرفارمنس ہی دے رہے تھے
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) July 25, 2022
The criticism and mockery made the comedian break into tears during an interview with a YouTuber, prompting some PTI workers and netizens to apologize.
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In the interview, Allah Rakha clarified that he is not affiliated with any political party, he only belongs to the public and urged people to stop criticizing him. He said he himself offered to perform at the rally. Allah Rakha said that people have even made fake accounts on social media against him. However, he said that he wants to thank everyone who liked his performance.
This broke my heart. I did not mock him but I did like some content which did and feel deeply ashamed. I wish @PTIofficial sends a message in support of him and other struggling artists and perhaps we can invite him to our own celebrations at liberty?pic.twitter.com/SNDvjqLJDR
— hamza (@Hamzakk) July 27, 2022
Important to note that comedy is a rare art, especially in Pakistan. Artists, that dedicated their lives to struggling to entertain people and spark laughter, especially during trying times, deserve respect. Following Allah Rakha’s emotional video, netizens are expressing solidarity with him and urging PTI to invite the veteran comedian to its public gatherings.