Pakistan’s iconic music maestro Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali has announced to part ways his previous management company – spearheaded by globally acclaimed music and concert producer Salman Ahmed – that managed the musician for 12 years. Now his wife and other family members will manage his new contracts, dates of concerts and fee etc. At a press conference in Lahore, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan announced that his Pakistan company RFAK will merge into NRK which is being managed by his wife Nida Rahat, her brother Baqa Niazi who runs a truck business in the US and in Pakistan by his cousin Maroof Ali Khan, who previously was alleged in 2014 by Rahat to have stolen over USD.1.2 million dollars from him, Asher Anwar and Raja Umair Hussain.
It’s understood that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Salman Ahmed took separate paths over several issues related to the singer’s family, lobbying of music promoters globally and disputes related to live shows.
Rahat was represented for over a decade by Salman Ahmed, then residing in London who was Rahat’s global promoter for 12 years. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan said at the press conference that he was separating his path from the “previous management in a loving and peaceful way” but this correspondent understands that not all is well and several litigations are in the offing.
The singer didn’t name his previous management company but alleged at the same press conference that “previously payments were made to the company without my knowledge by the clients and some clients remain trapped. I don’t want the repeat of this episode, so make payments only when I have personally signed on the receiving”.
When Salman Ahmed was contacted, he hit back rejecting all allegations.
He said that he is prepared to give full revenue stream paperwork to Pakistan’s Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to set the record straight.
