Pakistani ghazal singer Ustad Ghulam Ali, who had cancelled his earlier concerts in Mumbai and Delhi over Shiv Sena protests, is scheduled to perform in Kerala in January.

The ghazal maestro has reportedly confirmed that he will perform in two events in the South Indian state: one in Thiruvananthapuram on 15 January and the other in Kozhikode on 17 January.

The event will be conducted by an organisation called Swaralaya, which will also honour the Pakistani singer for his contribution to music.

In October, Ghulam Ali was forced to cancel his concerts in Mumbai and Pune after the Shiv Sena staged protests, saying they cannot have cultural ties with Pakistan as it is violating ceasefire continuously and killing Indian jawans.

Two of Ali's scheduled concerts in Mumbai and Pune in October were cancelled following the Shiv Sena protests while he backed out from his Delhi programme last month citing personal reasons. The Shiv Sena had held that while tension remained at the Indo-Pak border, such a concert could not be allowed.

In April, the Sena had forced cancellation of the concert of another Pakistani singer, Atif Aslam, in Hardaspur.

In 2014, a performance by Sufi rock group Mekaal Hasan Band at the Mumbai Press Club was also disrupted by the Shiv Sena, said earlier reports.

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