The Pakistani fishmonger, who became an overnight singing sensation after being signed by Warner Brothers for a Christmas single, may end up paying a heavy price for his instant fame and could soon be on a flight back to Pakistan if immigration officials decide to turn a deaf ear to his musical talent.
Muhammad Shahid Nazir, whose catchy “One Pound Fish” song is billed to be a Christmas hit, is being investigated by the UK Border Agency after it emerged that he came to Britain on a student visa but then dropped out his studies to take up a job with a fish-seller in East London. It was while hawking fish to passing customers urging them “Come on ladies, come on ladies, have-a, have-a look, £1 fish — very, very good, £1 fish” that he became a sensation after a clip of his unique sales pitch was uploaded on Youtube attracting a huge viewership.
According to The Sunday Times , the publicity brought him to the attention of UKBA which has launched an inquiry into his visa status. Nazir admitted he had stopped attending classes in March, but insisted that he worked only within the 20-hour-a-week limit set down in the visa. “God gave me fame from London so I don’t want to leave London so they should give me more stay… because London has changed my life,” he said.
