Islamabad: India's former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh has got a "21-gun salute" in a parody 'qawwali' for standing up for Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his controversial new book.
A Pakistani TV channel is beaming the qawwali on Singh, who has become the talk of town since his controversial book "Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence" was launched.
Bankay Mian, the singer, devotes the qawwali to Singh and praises him for standing up for the founding father of Pakistan. He even accords a "21-gun" salute to Singh.
"Koi to hai joh wahan hamare tarane gaa riya hai/Hamare badon ko wahan yaad kiya jaa riya hai/Naam hai uska Jaswant Singh aur fan hai who Quaid-e-Azam ka," goes the qawwali. Bankay Mian sings about the BJP expelling Singh for praising Jinnah.
"Quaid-e-Azam ke peeche usne wahan phatta bol le liya hai/Isi chakkar main uski party ke thekedaron ne use ghar jaane ka nyota de diya hai," the qawwal and his three-member troupe sing.
"To Jassu Bhaiyya aap toh ab zara Bankay Mian ki aake qawwali sun le/Aur apne apne naam ki 21 gunon ki salami sun le," goes the song.
The opposition PML-Q party has invited Singh to Pakistan to launch his book. Singh is expected to visit Pakistan after the holy month of Ramzan to publicise his book.