King Charles’ charity says investigating Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s viral video

LONDON: The British Asian Trust, a charity founded by King Charles aimed at addressing domestic violence and supporting mental health and poverty initiatives in India and Pakistan, has initiated an investigation into a viral video involving renowned Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

In the video, Khan, who serves as an ambassador for King Charles’ anti-violence charity, is seen allegedly slapping and assaulting a man identified as a backing singer in a Houston, Texas hotel room. The disturbing footage depicts Khan raining blows on the victim with a slipper and dragging him by the hair.

British Asian Trust said: “We take all accusations of abuse seriously and we will look into this urgently.”

The 49-year-old global music star, who has admitted to the assault, has a significant social media following of eight million and has met King Charles on multiple occasions in his capacity as an ambassador for the charity.

In a series of three videos, Khan is seen arguing with the victim, demanding the whereabouts of his bottle and threatening violence. The victim, visibly frightened, is struck by Khan with what appears to be a slipper. The altercation continues with Khan hitting the man on his face and head, repeatedly questioning the location of his bottle.

The incident, which may have revolved around a bottle of liquor according to an anonymous source, unfolds as members of Khan’s entourage observe. In a third video, three bandmates intervene to separate Khan and the victim as they grapple on the floor of the hotel room.

Speaking about the incident, Khan acknowledged the assault, stating that the victim was his student and had no objection to the physical altercation. Khan claimed the dispute stemmed from the loss of a bottle of “spiritual water” given to the victim by a holy man.

The British Asian Trust, disturbed by the video, has taken swift action to investigate the matter, aligning with its commitment to combat violence and support those affected by domestic abuse.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, acknowledged for his vocals in Mel Gibson’s 2007 film Apocalypto, defended his actions after a video surfaced showing him allegedly assaulting a man. Khan, who referred to the victim as his student, claimed that the altercation was sparked by the loss of his “special bottle of water,” a spiritual item for which the victim took responsibility. Khan asserted that the student accepted the punishment and sought forgiveness, stating, “No one has an objection if I punished my student because he lost my spiritual bottle of water,” according to The Mail.

In Pakistan, the British Asian Trust revealed that it has trained 160 teachers to identify mental health issues in students. Khan, celebrated as the greatest living singer of Qawwali, a genre deeply rooted in the poetry and music of Islamic mystics (Sufis), serves as an ambassador for King Charles’ anti-violence charity.

The British Asian Trust responded to the incident, emphasizing the seriousness of abuse accusations and committing to an urgent investigation. As an organization dedicated to combatting domestic violence and supporting mental health initiatives, the British Asian Trust remains vigilant in addressing such matters.