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According to an old interview, Zia confessed his admiration for Mangeshkar while talking with late Indian journalist Kuldip Nayar in 1982.
Nayar poked Zia by asking that the Indians say that whenever they want to bring some cultural troupe to the neighbouring country, it is not quite welcome in Pakistan.
The troupe apparently consisted of some leading female singers, including the legendary Lata Mageshkar. Zia, who by that time had launched his project of Islamising Pakistan, said, I am the man responsible. I myself am fond of Lata Mangeshkar but if you want to send her to Pakistan to sing, I’ll say not now because it is not compatible with the current Pakistani spirit.
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