The band are known for artistic videos

Despite their international reputation, Junoon have long been thought of as controversial in their home country, the latest problem arising when they played in India earlier this year.

In interviews with the international media, including the BBC, Junoon's members said music should transcend international boundaries.

Owen Bennett-Jones on the banning of Pakistan's most successful group

Lead singer Ali Azmat said: "I have lost my nationality that way. We are artists and we just want to play our music and spread the message of joy."

Lead singer Ali Azmat: "We just want to play our music"

But their idealistic remarks proved too much for Pakistan's authorities, who have branded the musicians' words propaganda, particularly objecting to Junoon's comments that India and Pakistan have cultural similarities and should be reunified.

"Their remarks belittled the concept of the ideology of Pakistan. They also disagreed with the national opinion regarding the nuclear explosion," said a statement from the Ministry of Culture.

Pakistan's biggest pop export say they have had death threats and accuse the bureaucracy of banning them from television and refusing permission for their concerts.

The band fuse eastern and western culture

The country's minister of culture denies that there have been restrictions but he believes that Junoon do have a case to answer.

"If a man has lost his nationality then he has nothing to claim from it," said the minister, Sheikh Rashid in response to the singer's comments.

The band insist that they are proud to be Pakistani, and their tour, playing a "blend of eastern mysticism with western rock", was to promote peace.

CD sales are still doing well

But Junoon - described as one of the biggest bands in the world by a London rock magazine - are now reduced to running a publicity campaign for their rehabilitation in Pakistan, insisting that they would die for their country.

They continue to fight against a "jeans and jacket" ban on Pakistani TV and one of their tactics has been to release a new single calling for the accountability of corrupt politicians.

But the audiences - like the one which attended a recent concert in New York's Central Park - seem to have no problems with the band's patriotic credentials.