Exclusive:From ‘Bill Bill Pakistan’ to Shehzad Roy’s activism: Music’s power to challenge the status quo

Aun Ali Khosa, a digital content creator and singer, was abducted by unknown persons on August 14. Five days later, Khosa returned home. His song Bil Bill Pakistan criticized the government for massive increase in electricity bills.

A Twitter thread posted by Marwah Khan highlighted the troubling incident but in reference to Pakistani music. She tweeted, “A guy singing mere “Bill Bill Pakistan” was abducted in 2024.

Here is a thread of Shehzad Roy taking advantage of post Musharraf democratisation with unhinged bangers and timeless tracks.”

In a country where music often turns to be the voice of resistance, one name has stood out loud and clear, all these years- Shehzad Roy, a man who chose his art to revolt against the status quo, to raise his voice for the need to bring reforms in some of the most crucial areas of Pakistani society.

Singer and activist, Shehzad Roy is a man who used his art to rebel against the status quo and raise awareness of the need for reforms in some of the most significant areas of Pakistani society. In a nation where music frequently becomes the voice of opposition, Roy’s name has stood out loud and clear over the years.

In an exclusive conversation with The Current, Roy reflected on his music’s evolution, starting with his album ‘Laga Reh’ and songs like ‘Apay Ullu’ and ‘Qismat Apne Haath Mein.’

Talking about Laga Reh, Roy said, “The political music that I converted was when I started to end the occupation of government schools. It all started in 2006-07 when we were fixing Fatima Jinnah Government School in Karachi, Garden West, which is an institution today because of which so many policies have changed. I kept going there and started writing all this. Because a school is just like mini Pakistan, a government school, where you have the occupation mafia, drug mafia, exploiting religion, exploiting culture, a whole teacher mafia, so all kinds of mafia you have there, that’s Mini Pakistan. When you turn around a government school properly, it’s like turning around Mini Pakistan. So from there I started writing songs. So when Laga Reh Hai album came out, especially Laga Reh, before that, I started writing songs.”

Roy’s political music portfolio started growing during this time of activism in education and identified with the struggle and hopes of Pakistanis.

“So before Laga Reh, Wasu and I had our song Apnay Ullu, which reflects Pakistan’s history. Then we have Qismat Apne Haath Mein which was obviously a bullshit song,” Roy added.

Shehzad talked about how his political songs and school reform efforts have led to major changes.

“Whatever political songs I have sung, because of the songs or when I was reforming the government schools, removing the qabza. And now the qabza have ended in Karachi schools. Generally it is contagious and it has an impact on the whole of Sindh and the whole country. When we were trying to implement the curriculum of sexual abuse, which is not taught in the best private schools, there many articles were published against me. Some people said that this is against our religion, although how to save children from sexual abuse is instructed by our religion. So that curriculum was implemented. Scholars approved that saving children from sexual abuse is in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah.”

The Laga Reh singer also discussed the threats he faced due to his activism and music.

“So, there were multiple types of threats. I have never focused on anyone when I write my songs. I have never written against a person, a political party or an institution. I have always kept a philosophical argument. And they say that 50 percent of knowledge is in asking the right question. So I have tried to raise that question, which we can all answer in our own way. I have never given a sweeping statement that so-and-so is bad and this is good.”

Shehzad Roy also discussed the controversy that surrounded his song ‘Waja,’ which was shot in Balochistan.

“The song Waja, which we shot in Balochistan, we told a lot of positive things in it, but in it, the guy who sings in Baloch language, is saying that the state should never make its people cry. It should not fight its people. There was controversy over that as well. I don’t know why I said that Balochistan is developing. Although I gave both points of view. But because he was speaking in Baloch language, people may have not understood what was said,” Shehzad Roy added.