Pop music is rapidly taking over the Pakistani music scene, despite the moral brigade and diktats of the clergy. “Pop, along with soft rock, is growing in popularity. It has developed in a very short span of time and shows more promise than even Indian pop music,” claims Saadia, 19, a student of business studies. Most of the songs are in Urdu set to western music. There is a lot of talent coming here. Music experts say there are about 15 established music bands and a dozen pop music stars in Pakistan today.

A far cry, all agree, from the early 1980s, when during President Zia-ul-Haq’s regime, listening to or creating pop music was aggressively discouraged. However, after the Music ‘89 show, aired on the government-owned Pakistan Television (PTV), who was also the official sponsors, things appeared to change. At the show, 30-somethings danced to the music of the then pop idols - Nazia and Zoheb Hassan, Ali Azmat and bands like the Vital Signs.

The music of Sashi Ranjan’s film “Doobara” was launched by prominent people like Mahesh Bhatt and Shatrughan Sinha here. But the presence of former Pakistan president Zia-ul Haq’s daughter Zian made it all the more interesting, indiaexpress reported.

She had come on a special invitation given by Sinha, a close buddy of filmmaker Sashi Ranjan.

Zian said this was her third visit. She said she enjoyed Hindi films and “Dil To Paagal Hai” was her favorite film.

“Doobara” is a love story between Jackie Shroff, who plays a middle-aged married man, and Raveena Tandon, who plays his ex-girlfriend, told as a thriller.