Sidhu Moosewala's photo appears on Pakistan poll hoardings

Islamabad, July 1

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Photos of slain Indian singer Sidhu Moosewala with a reference to his chartbuster song ‘295’ have made their way to election hoardings in Pakistan, apparently to cash in on his popularity in the upcoming byelections in the country’s Punjab province.

With byelections being held on 217 seat in Multan, Moosewala’s photo was used on the hoarding of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Tehreek-e-Insaf alongside Zain Qureshi’s, the son of former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, according to the News International newspaper. Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, 28, also known as Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead on May 29. The election posters showed Moosewala’s picture with ‘295’ inscribed on it, an apparent reference to the singer’s popular number, the report said. The song is a commentary on the section of the Indian Penal Code that deals with hurting religious sentiments. The byelections are slated to be held on July 17.

When Zain Qureshi was asked about Moosewala’s photo on the election hoarding, he pleaded ignorance.

“I would like to thank everyone who has printed a picture of Sidhu Moosewala on the poster as this poster has gone viral. None of our posters had gone so viral before,” he told the BBC (Urdu).

The leader said they were trying to find out who had printed the picture on the poster and why.

Moosewala enjoys a loyal fan base in Pakistan. Last month, 30-year-old artist Shahzad Bhatti from Pakistan’s Punjab province had painted a huge portrait of Moosewala on a truck to pay tribute to the singer.

Truck art in Pakistan is generally reserved for the country’s national heroes. Before his death, Moosewala had promised fans a Pakistan tour with live shows in Lahore and Islamabad.